Small World, Big Coincidences
by Crystalmoon39
Summary: Prequel to All's Fair. Nora's mother and godmother took her with them on a trip when she was still little. She meets people for the first time who will affect her life much later. But if they are so important, why didn't Nora remember them? Was she just too young? What was she like as a child? Short series.
1. Baby's First Sensei

**Hey! Anyone remember me? Crystalmoon39?**

**I did a Detentionaire fic with my own OC call All's Fair.**

**To any new readers you should check ****that**** out first and then come back here.**

**This is going to be just a short series on my OC Nora when she was a child.**

**Like the first time she met her Sensei, her past with her mother and Alex...**

**Maybe a few others have been in her past longer than she remembers.**

**Long Drabbles.**

* * *

"I still can't believe you talked me into this!"

Helena was panting for breath. A married woman, a mother in her thirties, and she's miles away from home with her best friend, climbing up some ancient steps up the side of a mountain. Helena was a pretty woman having light red hair, blue eyes and still in good health. She worked as a high school drama teacher back in Canada, but had been convinced to take this hike on a mountain in Japan. A necessary weight was also on her back which did not make the journey any easier. At least ten steps ahead of her was Winnona Wheatfield, her closest friend since their days in elementary school.

"It's not like I shanghaied you and forced you onto the plane!" Winnona, nicknamed Winny due to her outgoing and competitive nature as a young girl, called over her shoulder. Winny was a lot more youthful than her friend not just by nature. But she had light-brown hair and green eyes that she felt always made her look like an old lady. She waited for Helena to catch up a few steps. "You're still in great shape, and don't mothers in their first few years have great circulation from chasing toddlers around?"

Helena looked up indignantly at her. "That's a myth made up by women who don't actually _have_ children!" She was only three steps behind Winny when Helena stopped. "And even if it were true, Nora doesn't do much running. Henry follows behind her every step just in case she falls, and when she so much as starts looking tired he picks her up and takes her the rest of the way."

"You got a husband that's going to spoil your daughter, you know Lena?" Winny had never married, and that was because she never wanted to. She loved her own independence, her parents had left her money to support a globe-trotting lifestyle and Winny's love for adventure and learning new things had taken the central role of her life. The only time she had ever thought differently of this life was the day Helena asked her to be Nora's godmother and placed the little baby in her arms. "That's why we need to come here! Can't you just feel it?"

"Oh, I can feel it!" Helena assured her, actually referring to burning and aching of her muscles and the heat of the sun beating down on them. Grunting she took one more step. "But why now, Winny? We left Canada to come to Japan, but you never told me why!"

"Yes I did!" Winny told her, puffing out her chest in pride. "We made a vow years ago to see the world together. I've been pulling my half of that promise for the last three years while you've had the adventurous life of a house mom. Today we make it real! We're spending the summer here as guests, it'll be great; you'll see!"

"Winny…" Helena truly loved her like a sister, but the extent she was going with this was pushing the limit a bit. "Then can you explain why you wanted to bring Nora along with us?" The 'necessary weight' was actually Helena's three-year-old daughter. Nora had short black hair that curled at her cheeks which she inherited from her doting father, Henry Prowler, and had what Helena called 'silvery' eyes. Nora may have been three, but she still had a nervous habit: sucking her thumb. It was a security thing, like for most children. Whenever she felt scared, or nervous she would start sucking away. She was even doing it right now. Even though she was with her mother and favorite aunt, Nora knew she was in a very different place than her house and so was understandably nervous and afraid. And she said nothing as the two women conversed on the steps.

"Oh, why not?" Winny argued. "Every girl needs an adventure in her life. How many get to say they've been to a temple in Japan at the age of three? Beside you'd have never come if we couldn't bring her!" The truth really was that Winny adored Little Nora and in the excitement of having the closest thing to a daughter in her life wanted to share a journey with her and her best friend!

Helena rolled her eyes. "She's only three, Winnona! She'll barely remember this and even if she does, I can't carry her up these steps twice as it is now."

Winny laughed. "Then I'll carry her! No really. Hand the little mouse over, she can ride on my back if you're getting tired." Helena didn't protest and neither did Nora. Helena wouldn't have made Winny her godmother if she did not trust the woman. And Winnona had been around enough times for the little child she now carried along with her pack for Nora to know that her aunt's appearance was a time for fun. She even took her thumb out of her mouth as Winny talked to her until they reached their destination.

The temple they were going to was more of a training grounds built into a side of the mountain. The teachers there specialized in the old arts and traditional ways of their people. But it was not solely Japanese, nor fighting. Philosophers of peace, men of extended martial art knowledge and the students they taught all lived at the temple. Winny had come here a few years ago, not really to study, but to visit an old friend of hers and Helena's.

Before they got to the final steps Winny let Helena take a break so she would not look so tired when they were greeted at the top. "You know…" Helena panted as she sat down. "I am looking forward to this… He hasn't seen Nora yet. And I think he's the last of my friends who haven't."

Winny smiled with glee. This had also had been part of her reason for bringing them both. She set Nora down, but held onto her hand so she would not fall. Nora didn't cling to her aunt's leg, but resumed sucking her thumb. "Angel, c'mon it's okay." Winny tried to soothe her removing her thumb from her mouth. "Your mommy and I wanted to bring you to a new place. There's a friend of ours here and he's never seen you. Mommy and Auntie need to show you off!"

Nora only stared back baefully, putting her thumb back where it was.

"If your teeth don't wear away, I think that your thumb will." Nora paused, but then continued sucking. "Helena, shouldn't you be finding a way to make her stop?"

Energy returning to her from her rest, Nora's mother reached into her pack. "I didn't have to. Remember Alfonso Amoreonesto?"

Winny rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah. I see his face every time I look up the phrase 'lady's man'. Helena don't you think it's weird that your old high school boyfriend lives just down the street from you?"

Helena looked up at her friend, confused by her question. "No. In fact I think it's lucky! He has three boys and the youngest is just a year older than Nora. Winny if you saw them together you'd see how adorable they are! Alex is always leading her around by the hand when he comes over to play, he does boss her to do what he says because he thinks it's his job to keep her safe." Helena smiled up at her daughter. "Nora, Alex takes good care of you for Mommy doesn't he?"

Her expression brightening, Nora nodded her head to her mother. "Winny look at this." Helena began digging into her pack. "Before I left, Alex came to our frontyard and demanded to know where I was 'taking Nora away'. Can you imagine someone four years old saying that?" She laughed. "Any way, he said that Nora _had_ to have this bag of sugar-free suckers."

"Sugar-free?" Winny raised an eyebrow. "That's a blasphemy in Candyland."

Helena waved off the comment. "Alfonso and his wife, Athena, have a strict no sugar policy in their house, so I guess these are the only things he could get. He said he's teaching Nora not to suck her thumb before she starts preschool and he's been giving these to her when he comes over to play."

That even made Winnona smile. She wouldn't say what he thought on Alfonso, not in front of Nora. But the little girl immediately took her thumb out of her hand to reach for the bad of candy her mother was holding out. "You better hand one over, Lena." She joked steadying the three-year-old on the steps.

Helena said. "Let's get to the top first. I'm feeling much better now."

The three of them took the last few steps, until finally they reached their destination. A giant red Japanese-styled gate stood right in front of the travelers. The temple was an ancient ground now used as place of expert training to the next generation who aspired to keep the traditional fighting styles of their heritage, so Helena assumed that the rest of the building would be just as traditional. "Just a few years ago," Winny explained, "they started excepting masters not just of Japanese heritage. Some old, eccentric British guy offered a fund to the temple if they allowed others to stay and learn here."

"Wow." Said Helena amazed. "That's not just everyday generosity." Or everyday money either. Whoever had made that offer wasn't just eccentric, they were also incredibly well off.

"And because of that," Winny continued, smiling slyly. "_We _get to go in, and we get to see an old friend." She put her hand that wasn't holding Nora's up to her mouth and called. "We're here~!"

The gates creaked as they opened; a lone figure stepped out wearing a monk's robe. "Welcome, my old friends."

The voice, and face were both recognizable by Helena. He wasn't of direct Japanese descent, but she knew he had studied the culture, and fighting styles of it for years.

"Yasu!"

* * *

**Well, that my first try. If I get enough reviews I think I have enough to do a few more chapters.**


	2. First Love?

**Wow, thanks eveyone for reviewing. I guess I can keep going then.**

**Let's see... Who else can we put in...?**

**Ah-ha!**

**I know!**

* * *

Yasu Hong. A man that looked at least ten years older than either the spunky redhead or her more mellowed friend, stood and bowed at the waist to his friends from Canada. Yasu was an avid learner, often traveling the world, and learning all he could. He at one point went to Canada to study, and befriended Winnona and Helena. He remained in contact with them after leaving. His reasons for traveling often varied in his conversations, he could not tell his friends what he was actually doing. Yasu kept his search mission to himself. "Welcome, Winnona Wheatfield, and Helena Prowler to…" Yasu looked surprised seeing a tiny girl holding onto Winnona's hand sucking her thumb, staring at him. "I… do not believe I have met this little one."

"Oh!" Helena scooped up Nora and brought her closer to see Yasu. "She's mine. Yasu, this is my daughter, Nora. Nora?" The little girl continued sucking, staring between her mother and the strange new man. "This is a friend of Mommy's. Call him Sensei Hong, okay?"

Nora nodded, but didn't say anything. She looked at Yasu Hong and waved her little hand. Yasu chuckled down at the child, and then spoke to her mother. "She does not say much. But she listens I see."

"I know." Helena said putting her daughter back down. "I've been trying to get her to stop, but I guess she can't help feeling nervous." Remembering what she had promised, Helena took a sucker out of her pack for Nora. It was red, cherry even, Nora's favorite and she couldn't wait for it. "Ah-ah!" she squeaked reaching up both arms to her mother. Helena leaned down and placed the sucker in her mouth. Nora gripped the little stick with both hands and happily sucked away at her lolly.

Winny spoke up, "Yasu, we're here to fulfill an old promise, and we wanted to make sure Nora was here to witness it."

"A promise of what nature?" he asked.

Winny thrust her fist up in the air. "To venture across the world! No boundaries, no limitations, no stops. But then _this one_ had a cute little daughter so we're settling for a summer trip together."

Helena set her pack down and playfully put her hands on her hips. "What's this _we_ stuff? I would have loved a visit to see Yasu any day. But you're the one who insisted Nora come."

Winny spoke behind her hand to Yasu. "See what I mean? Since she became a mother she's lost her adventurous spirit. I had to bring the kid otherwise I'd be all alone on this."

"I heard that, Winny!"

While the adults joked and talked between themselves, Nora was left to look around the front courtyard of the temple. She saw straight-cut bushes and trees, along with stone statues of dragons and people. She didn't walk away from her mother, Nora just looked with her eyes like she had been told to do back home. Everything was very different, but she also thought it was pretty and began to ease up on her lollipop. But then, she stopped something that really caught her interest.

Another child.

He was perhaps three years older than Nora and his face and eyes were different than anyone Nora had seen on her street. But that didn't register anything to her, she just saw another child like her. And to Nora, a new child meant a new playmate. Though her didn't look much like he wanted to play. He had what Nora heard Alex call a 'learning face'. That meant that he was not smiling, not laughing, not running around; he was just listening. Nora didn't know that he was curious about the new strangers coming to the temple, and had heard them talking and came over to see what they were talking about. She didn't know that this young boy had been left here by his mother and ordered the highest ranking teachers to train him the rest of the summer until she came back. The boy had partly hoped that his mother would come back and get him early. He didn't like it here at the temple and wanted to go home.

Nora only knew that this was the first person she saw here who was closest to her age. Nora stopped her sucking when she saw him. Back home, she didn't play with anyone other than Alex. He kept her away from falling tree branches, wet mud (even though she loved playing in that), and (one thing she didn't like) older, mean boys. Like Alex's older brother Anton. The oldest brother, Arthur, was okay, but not Anton. He wasn't nice to her and Alex, and he never played with them. The boy she saw now was a little closer to Anton's age, so she was hesitant to go up and talk to him. Then she thought, if she gave him a present, maybe he would be nicer to her than Anton was.

Since her mother wasn't looking, Nora reached into her pack and pulled out one of the suckers. She carefully picked another red one. It was her favorite, the best, so the boy might like it too. The adults were still talking, all three of them laughing together. Nora walked up to the boy. He didn't seem to notice her until she was just one step away from him. Nora stood, looking up at the boy with one hand on the sucker she was eating, and the other on the still unopened one. The boy looked down at her. His own face just a frown with mild interest.

Remembering what her Mommy had taught her about meeting a new person, Nora took the sucker out of her mouth to say, "Hi." Before putting it right back.

The boy said nothing. His face didn't even change.

Nora tried to remember what else she was supposed to do and took the sucker back out again. "I'm Nowa." She tried her best to say her name. She held out the red sucker for him to have.

The boy was very young, but he already knew some English. He knew that the girl was trying to introduce herself. And that angered him. It did because she had declared right to his face that she had a name. The boy didn't. His 'mother' had left him here without telling anyone what his name was. The boy didn't even know what his name was. "Orokana shōjo!" he yelled at her and knocked the offered lollipop out of her hand. The boy ran away from Nora, back behind the temple's garden where she couldn't see him.

Nora was left standing there, her arm stinging from where the mysterious boy had hit her. Her offered lollipop lay rejected on the ground. Nora pressed the one in her mouth between the top of her mouth and her tongue. She would have cried, had not her Aunt Winny witnessed the whole thing and came running to her side with her mother and Yasu.

"Why that little-!" She started but stopped, remembering the child present. "Some kids are just brats!"

Nora was already in Helena's arms being soothed by her mother rubbing her back, and telling her it was okay. "Me did bad." Nora spoke into her shoulder. She only got scolded or hit on her wrist when she did something bad, so that's why she thought she had been hit.

"No, no sweetie." Her mother said to her. "You didn't do bad. You were trying to be nice, that boy just didn't want your lolly."

Yasu looked over at Helena. He knew she didn't know much Japanese. But it was one of the many languages he and Winnona knew. That boy had called Nora a stupid girl, and that was not an acceptable response here at the temple. What's more is that Yasu actually knew about that boy. He had been causing nothing but trouble since he was brought here.

"That one is… strange." He told the two women. "He came here not a month ago. The woman who brought him… from what I've heard did not look like his birth mother. She didn't even leave the boy's name, and the child himself will not tell anyone what it is." Yasu had tried several times to engage the boy in conversation. He found that the boy was highly intelligent, and could be potentially the best warrior to ever emerge from this temple. But… Yasu could a sense a cloud of darkness always hovering around the boy. It coiled around him like a warning, like a dangerous predator, like a serpent.

"He listens to the instruction and performs well, but he simply chooses not to speak. The most I have heard him say was just now when Nora walked up to him." Yasu cast a pitying glance, only to see that Nora was now smiling happily in her mother's arms.

"Well, messing with my goddaughter is messing with my zen, Yasu!" Winny had no problem verbalizing her complaints. "That boy either stays away from Nora or I'll really make him not able to speak!"

"Winny!"Helena chided her. "You shouldn't say that about a child. You shouldn't talk that way about anyone you don't really know." Then she whispered. "At least not in front of Nora, okay?" Helena really didn't want Nora learning how to make threats to people. She had been angry at Nora being hurt for being nice too, but her focus was on Nora's well-being rather than revenge for her being hurt.

"That doesn't matter! Nora-"

"Ladies, please!" Yasu had to stop her here or she would just keep going. "I will deal with him later. The boy is not directly under my watch, but his assigned mentor is away for the time being. I will deal with him later. For now, allow me to show you around the temple. Helena, I think you and your daughter will enjoy it here."

Helena smiled at him. They were off to a rough start, but she didn't want that to ruin the whole day.

* * *

**So what do you guys think of Nora's Mom and Winnona? Who do you think had the most impact on Nora's life?**

**Or just say what you think about them.**


	3. Blue Sucker

**Okay let's see now.**

**...Oh! Wait, no...**

**...Ah! Nope...**

**Okay, why not this?**

* * *

Over the next few days Winny, Yasu and Helena were able to enjoy their time at the temple. They took part in talking with the other teachers here, often with Yasu or Winnona acting as translators for Helena. Nora would listen, often sucking her thumb, while her mother and aunt took lessons, watched demonstrations and sometimes took part of what was happening.

"Are you having fun?" Winny asked Nora in one of the few times her mother wasn't around and she could hold her as she walked. Nora, a lime sucker in mouth, nodded happily up to her aunt. The little girl was having fun on her trip; everything was new, pretty and seemed like a treat for her. Yasu said that she could go anywhere she wanted around the temple as long as someone was with her. But she was still nervous because Alex wasn't around to watch her now, even though she loved her aunt and her mother, she still wanted her friend to be here. She never went anywhere or talked to anyone without Alex around.

"Well, at least we haven't seen that little what's-his-name around anymore." Winny said. "Nora, don't get in the habit of hanging around bad people. Your mom may not know it, but then again she's always been too loving. That Alfonso…! Married and he's still eyeing a married woman. Even worse: he's encouraging his son after her daughter. She says that no one is really completely bad, kind of like ying and yang." Winny looked down to see Nora staring up at her. Winny set Nora down to talk to her."Oh, yeah… I'll tell you about that later. But here's the truth! Actions speak louder than words. A person can choose between good and bad, and the more often they choose bad, then that makes them bad. Don't worry though, kiddo. Momma and I are teaching you good the way!"

A laughing came from behind a nearby bonsai tree. "Ho-hohohoho!" Out walked Yasu Hong, having overheard her. "Listen to this. Winnona Wheatfield is talking to a three-year-old as if she is an adult. Ho! My goodness, what would Henry say if he heard you?"

Winnona stood confidently releasing Nora's hand to put both of them on her hips. "He wouldn't do a thing. Henry's a good man, but doesn't have an aggressive bone in his body. I'm the godmother, I'm supposed to be straight with her and get her what she wants."

Yasu asked. "Did she want a lecture about good and evil?"

"Ha ha." Winny said sarcastically, "It _is_ important to tell kids early on, Yasu. She's not going to be a baby forever, and while I'd love her to stay this cute, she's gonna need to hear the truth on how the world works sooner or later, or she's just going to find herself in deep trouble."

"That is not how I raised _my _sons." Yasu stated. He was a father of three boys, Winny had none and Nora was the closest thing to child experience she had. And in Yasu's eyes, she was a very easy child compared to his wild, defying, and tireless children. "Wisdom comes with age, but there are certain ages that can accept the knowledge."

"Then what do we adults do in the meantime? Lie to them?"

"It is not lying. The children are told when they can accept the knowledge. While I agree that is called keeping a secret-" Yasu suddenly looked around. Something was missing. "Winnona? Where is…?"

Nora looked where she had put her down. "Oh my gosh! Nora?!"

* * *

Nora never wandered off on her own anymore. When she went to the park with her father and mother, she could go anywhere she wanted as long as they could see her. With Alex, even if she tried to go somewhere else he would just run after her and bring her back, scolding her for running away when she shouldn't. Nora had never understood what her aunt was talking about, and thus let her eyes and mind wander. In less than a second they fell on a purple wisteria tree just a little ways away from Yasu and aunt Winny. Nora saw no harm in just going over to look, there weren't any purple trees where she lived. So with no one to stop her, Nora toddled away.

Nora went right up to the wisteria tree. She didn't know what it was called, she just knew it was a beautiful thing. Purple flowers dripped off the branches like water, a few of the petals even landing on the ground beneath it. "Pretty." Nora said, putting her sucker back in. Then she noticed something else about the tree. One of the little cluster of flowers was moving! Nora wanted to touch the flowers, but before she could a blue butterfly came out from behind the blooms. Nora gasped in amazement. She didn't have blue butterflies back at her home either. Giggling while keeping the lollipop in her mouth, Nora chased and tried to catch the butterfly. It danced all around, up in the air just out of Nora's reach. At first it just stayed in the area around the wisteria tree, but then it took off in the direction of a pathway to a garden. Nora forgot all about her aunt, delighted in her new game of Chase the Butterfly. And that's how her aunt lost her.

The garden Nora chased the blue butterfly into was the temple's Zen Garden. The garden was carefully designed with stone lanterns and statues, a rock garden, three waterfalls, a zig-zag bridge, a moon bridge, bonsai and willow trees, and a winding pathway that went all the way around a big lake in the center. Nora looked at it from the enterance and forgot about her butterfly. "Wow…" the child breathed out in awe. Nora had dropped her lime sucker somewhere behind her, and she didn't miss it at all. With slow and steadied steps she walked into the garden.

Nora took in all the nature around her, amazed that such a place existed. It looked like her Alice in Wonderland book. She giggled and started skipping down the path with glee! The garden was completely empty for her to explore.

Or so she thought.

Earlier, someone had been having a bad day. After a morning exercise and sparring had gone horribly wrong, the boy with no name had been harshly yelled at by his instructor. He couldn't do anything about it except get up and try again. And again. And again. And about twenty times more. Other students of the temple often came by and mocked the boy or beat him around by 'accident'. Their reasons were all different: Some didn't like him simply because they knew he was not really Japanese, some were stronger than him, others because they saw he could potentially _become_ better than them, and those who simply teased him because he gave no response no matter what anyone else did to him. His teacher, hired by Cassandra, did nothing to stop them.

The boy came to the Zen Garden just to get a few minutes away from all of them. He would often come here for some piece of mind. No one came looking for him here; only Sensei Hong knew that the boy could be found in the recluse foliage to shed a few tears. Yasu would, and had, confront the boy's private instructor about his treatment, but he the man was a long-time instructor at the temple making him above Yasu and he would not change his method of 'teaching' the boy. So all the traveling sensei could do was direct people away from the garden until the boy came out on his own will.

Just as Nora was passing by a bush of hydrangeas, she heard the sound of sniffling. Nora was often the one crying in most situations, she knew what crying sounded like and how a person generally felt when they were crying. There was no one on the path to cry. Nora followed where the sound was coming from, over to the hydrangea bush. More blue flowers. The stems and leaves were too thick and strong for her to push past, so instead she walked around off the path to see behind it. There crouched over, hugging his knees, was the same boy who hit her the other day.

He didn't even notice her. Nora just stood there, staring blankly. She wasn't sure what to do. Aunt Winny had told her to not go near that boy because he was mean. But he was crying. In Nora's experience when someone was crying someone was supposed to be there to make everything all right again. So why was no one here? Why was this boy crying, but nobody was coming?

Even on the rare occasion where no adults were around, Nora at least had Alex come and take care of her. She then remembered: she had his instant solution right in her little dress pocket! Yummy lollies! Nora at first thought of just doing what her Aunt told her and just walk away. This boy had only been mean to her, she didn't have to be nice to him. But he was crying. He hadn't apologized for hitting her. But no one else was coming to help him. He had acted just like Anton would… Maybe he just didn't like cherry flavored?

Thinking this, Nora dug around in her pocket for a sucker that wasn't red. She picked out a blue one. She couldn't remember if blue was grape or fruit punch flavor, but she hoped the boy would accept it this time. Not having noticed a presence behind him the boy started sniffling.

"S'cuse me."

The boy flinched in surprise and immediately turned around. No one ever came to the Zen garden at this time of day, and even if they did, they never before had found him. This was _his_ place, the only place in this entire in this entire stupid temple where no one could bother him. And this _stupid girl_ had found him? And to his own humiliation, she had seen him crying?! Forgetting the tears in his eyes he just angrily glared back at her.

Now, Nora…. While perhaps it would be clear to most children that they should run from a death glare, her fear response was to grab a red sugar-free lollipop for herself and put it in her mouth. The boy without a name, wasn't sure what to make of this. Even the children who picked on him ran in fear from this look because they knew what would soon be following. Cassandra taught him that if they weren't your underlings then they are your enemies. The world is full of hateful people, there's no fighting for the good when there isn't any good to fight for. But this girl… she was just standing there, sucking her candy and staring back at him.

What kind of enemy was she?

"Lolly!" she declared, holding out the blue sucker to him.

The boy remembered that one of the teachers had come and scolded him about this girl a few days ago. The sensei had taken the boy aside and asked what could have prompted this behavior. But as usual he had said nothing. Cassandra had also instructed him not to ask or answer any questions while he was here, he was only to take instruction from the teachers and be perfect in all his lessons. He did not feel explaining his actions counted for either of those things. When the sensei understood that the boy would once again be saying nothing to him, he had said. "Alright. If you will not talk I will not force you. But from now on I ask that you keep at a distance from those three women who came here today. One of them is violently upset that you harmed that precious child. And her mother is already concerned for her as it is."

But she had found him. Was she trying to get him in trouble? What was that thing she was even offering him? Something to poison him and make him sick? Cassandra wouldn't take illness as an excuse for not doing what he was supposed to do. But it was still tightly wrapped and in a clear packaging that he could see, plus the girl had one in her own mouth that he saw her just take out.

Nora got an unsure look on her face. Was blue still the wrong color? Maybe he just didn't see it. She waved it a little in front of him, but stilled her arm when he didn't take it. Nora was afraid that this boy would hit her again. Despite that, she took a step towards him allowing the blue lollipop to be closer in his reach. Nora didn't realize she was doing it, but the boy saw she was giving begging puppy-dog eyes. She wasn't going to cry, but just the same her eyes became large and shiny. So, feeling a quiver in his cold heart, the boy took the candy from her and removed the wrapper.

He debated actually putting this thing in his mouth. He still didn't trust this girl. Even if she was three, like he had heard, she was too small. But that just seemed to compel others to do what she wanted. Even right now, the boy was feeling pressured by her eager smile. The lollipop went in. It tasted like a combination of wild fruits, though it wasn't really sweet.

Seeing the boy's slight look of approval told Nora that she had gotten it right. She felt so happy that she took her cherry lolly out of her mouth to say, "I'm Nowa." She tried to introduce herself again. In response the boy nodded once. Nora stood waiting with a smile on her face for the boy to tell her his name. When he didn't, Nora moved on to the next part of making a friend: talking.

"June." She said, stating what month it was.

The boy opened his eyes at her. What had she said? Was she trying to give him a name? All the other boys at the temple either called him 'orphan' or 'foreigner'. So did some of the teachers. This girl had actually given him the name of a person, 'Jun'. In turn, he tried saying her name from what she had said both times. "Fine, _Noa_." She giggled, and went back to sucking lollipops with him.

* * *

Sometime later, a frantic search had erupted around the temple. Winny and Sensei Hong couldn't find Nora and thought that maybe she had wandered back to Helena. When she wasn't with her, Nora's mother joined the search. After searching the main temple, Helena ran out to the pathway were Winny had taken her daughter for the walk. She went to where Yasu said they had stopped and talked,and Nora had disappeared. Trusting her matrnal instincts to guide her, Helena looked around for any clues to which direction her daughter may have gone.

"Oh!" she groaned. "Nora's never gone off by herself before. Why would she here? Maybe she saw something she liked?"Then she paused and said, "And talking to yourself is only weird if someone else hears you!" Helena ran around checking everything in sight. "Okay, okay…."She calmed herself down, closing her eyes and putting both index fingers to her temples. "I don't know where my baby is, that doesn't mean she's hurt. I just need to look, not overthink: where would she go?" Helena slowly opened her eyes, her sight zoomed in on the same wisteria tree that Nora had seen. She walked right up to it. "She would definitely find this pretty." But where would she go next. Helena turned in all directions trying to guess what else could have made Nora wander away.

Helena then stopped at an open gate, overtaken with leaves and left open. If she weren't standing by the purple tree, she wouldn't have seen it from the path or tell it was any different from the wall supporting the plants. "In there?" Helena walked through the gates and into the Zen garden.

What she found was more fascinating than the garden itself. Yes, she saw the same beautiful foliage that her daughter had marveled at. From the enterance she could see the lake, the trees and the bridges. And in the very back of the garden, right at the center of the curving moon bridge, Nora was walking and chatting away without a lollipop in either hand. One little hand was pointing down at the water while she was talking, while the other was tugging away at the hand of another child.

Helena smiled as she recognized him as the same boy they saw when they first arrived at the temple. Helena could also see that it was now him who was sucking away at a lollipop.

* * *

**A/N: Aww! I don't know about the rest of you but I thought it was cute.**

**There was also a little bit of symbolism thrown in there. Start by looking at all the things that were blue or blueish that Nora encountered.**

**Review and maybe there will be a continuation!**


	4. Darkness and Light

**Aw, it means so much that so many old readers are still here!**

**There's a new picture of Nora on DeviantArt done by a Happiness-Void! **

**Go take a look!**

* * *

Two weeks later, 'Jun' was Nora's new friend at the temple. At least that's how she saw it. He spoke to her in English, but never said more than a few words, and even after watching one of his training sessions (which oddly no one picked on him or were as harsh with him) he was still the only person there close to Nora's age and willing to talk to her. She still sucked her thumb around him, but not all the time. He still called her Noa, and no one seemed to want to really tell him what her name was otherwise, not even Nora's mother. He didn't try to stop Nora's bad habit like everyone else did, but he noticed she would stop and take it out of her mouth if he talked to her or so she could answer a simple question.

They developed in a routine for themselves. Nora would stay with her mother or Aunt Winny in the mornings, and then join Sensei Hong to watch the last of Jun's training class around noon. Nora ate lunch with the grown-ups, but later would always join Jun for a walk around the grounds of the temple. Often Jun led her to the Zen garden, but sometimes he would take her to a new place like the cliff side where she could walk or a different pathway or training arena. People about the temple would often see them together with Jun doing most of the talking; quelling their belief that then boy was too unintelligent to talk. Some even saw that when Nora would start sucking her thumb, Jun would automatically take out a lollipop for both her and him.

Winny and Yasu were both a bit apprehensive when Nora would go on walks with the boy. Winny still had a grudge against him for hitting Nora when he first met her, and Yasu could still sense an air of darkness around that boy. But Helena would simply smile and ask 'Jun' to take care of 'Noa' and to bring her back safely. She would also supply Nora with an ample amount of lollipops for both of them, though each time it would seem they needed less and less. Helena was very happy about that.

"Look, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention!" Winny whined to her one time when it was just the two of them sitting. "Mr. Buddha-knows-all didn't see her go off either! Are you really going to trust some odd kid to take care of her?"

Helena calmly regarded her. "I'm not mad at either of you, Winny. I'm happy that Jun found her and she made friends with him. Besides he's new here too, and his mother didn't stay with him. He must want a friend too."

"Are you forgetting that he _hit_ her?" Winny reminded. "And just for giving him a piece of candy. Granted, it's not great candy."

"If memory serves, Winnona, you hit me the first time we met."

"Yeah! When we were both seven and you could hit me back. Which you did. Nora's three, and he's, like, six. That's not an even power balance, Lena!"

Helena laughed at how angry and unreasonable Winnona was being. "Easy, easy. Let's not cause a disturbance in the middle of the day. I know full well what he did to her, but it should be Nora who decides how long she should be mad at someone, Winny. I don't think she would give something Alex gave her to use to just anyone. If she's okay with this, shouldn't you be?"

"No!" Winny quickly shot back. "I'm her aunt! If I don't crack down on the bullies in her early years, imagine what her boyfriends will think they can get away with when she's a teenager."

"Now that's drastic."

"That's planning ahead!"

"Since when do you plan ahead?"

Both women were glaring at each other. Then they burst into laughter at their own antics! They often got into these little fights, but they never really got mad at each other. "W-We-Well," Helena said recovering from her giggles, "I sure hope Nora doesn't get any boyfriends that you _need_ to bring the beat-down on."

Winny wiped her eyes and replied. "Aw, you know I love that little mouse. She's tiny and needs a little extra help; but I guess that's why I like coming around."

"To play the mom?"

"The _fun_ mom."

"Taken."

"The _extra_-fun, then."

While the two women joked and conversed, someone was watching them. Ryuunoske Nakamara was one of the oldest teachers at the temple. His family line had been in this temple for generations, upholding the old and sacred traditions. He was also Jun's direct instructor per orders of Cassandra McAdams. In truth, Nakamara couldn't care less about the woman or her 'son' she left in his charge. But she did have what he cared about: money. Lots of it.

When that bombastic Finnwich came here years ago and persuaded the Elders of the temple to open their gates to foreigners, Nakamara's father was enraged and passed this story onto his son. The current Nakamara learned from this lesson that money was true power! Money can hire muscle, money can change the rules, and money can get you anything if you have enough of it! Nakamara wanted to use money to change things the way to what his father had taught him to value, maybe build his own temple and reinstate the same rules to keep out all of those unworthy low-lives!

The boy was but a stepping stone in his plan. He needed to get in good with his mother, and then she would require his teachings more often. Nakamara didn't care how much the boy got beaten down, he would get back up anyways. And all those rumors he spread about the boy to his other students and fellow masters would create an atmosphere of hostility, causing the boy to fight more often. Once Cassandra returned and to note of Nakamara's work, she would send the boy back under his tutelage and the whole cycle would increase his money each time.

But now there was a problem… and it was breeding more problems. That Yasu Hong clearly had some suspicions about Nakamara, if it weren't for the cruel master being such a long-standing teacher at the temple, surely the others might have agreed with Yasu's intelligent eye. Nakamara did not fear this foreign-born, so-called master though he noticed he was keeping a close eye on the boy. Then Yasu had invited these two _women_ to the sacred temple, and one of them even brought her stupid, dull, little daughter! They stayed out of his way, and Nakamara could have brushed them off as a minor annoyance.

But that child.

What could she be doing to the boy? Her watching the lessons gave Yasu Hong an excuse to come and watch as well, stopping the other students from giving the boy his 'proper training'. Even more so, Nakamara had noticed that the fires of hatred had begun to cool since meeting 'Noa' in the garden. He knew her name by what the boy had told him. "I cannot make that brat into an assassin if that girl is constantly interfering along with Hong." Giving up on spying on Helena and Winnona, Nakamara slinked away from his hiding place to find the two children.

Nora was already off on her daily routine with 'Jun'. Deciding to take her outside of the courtyard where her mother and aunt were resting, Jun took her to the inner shrine. "Do you know what this temple is for, Noa?"

Her thumb nowhere even near her mouth, Nora replied. "Summer!"

Jun rolled his eyes. He had initially only tolerated Nora's presence on the grounds that he did not understand what kind of method she was using to lower his guard. But as she had not only given him a name, and had additionally come every day just to see him, he had started looking forward to spending time with this girl he had superiority and knowledge over.

"No, Noa." The six-year-old told her. "This is called the Temple of the Sapphire Snakes."

Nora instantly started sucking her thumb and squeezed Jun's hand that she was already holding, even tighter. This told him that Noa didn't like snakes. Confirming it she said. "Snakes bad."

"Snakes good, Noa." Jun told her.

"Alex say 'bad'." Was Nora's way of explaining. "Snakes bite."

Nora often mentioned Alex, but Jun seemed to already know he wasn't going to get a full explanation from her. "Snakes are guardians here." Jun looked Nora in the eyes as he began to explain. "This mountain was once a giant snake that defended those in the valley from attacks by demons and conquerors. After a while no more enemies came, but the snake still stood towering over the valley below, relentless in his mission. He stood for so long that eventually the earth molded itself around him just to keep him standing tall. This temple was built on the mountain and it's said that the snakes who live on the cliff-sides are descendants of the Sapphire Snake."

Jun expected an expression of amazement from his story to come from Nora. Instead she just continued to suck her thumb. Jun pouted, "Okay, so Sensei Hong tells it better. But inside this little house is a real sapphire statue of the snake. It was donated here, and people can come to make offerings in exchange for protection."

Taking the thumb out of her mouth, Nora said. "What's sap-hire?"

Jun face-palmed. "Saph-fire! Is a deep blue jewel and its really pretty, Noa." Then the boy cupped his hand over his mouth and started whispering to his friend. "But we are not here to see the snake. I found something even better!"

Nora ceased her sucking, this told Jun that she was interested now. "Follow me." He ordered. He led Nora back behind the shrine to large stone at the base. Jun moved it, revealing a secret passage.

Nakamara was watching the two of them. He could not here their voices; the older women had talked much louder. He saw the boy whisper something in the girl's ear with a mischievous smirk. "A warrior is a killer!" Nakamara seethed. "Not a child who goes about playing with little girls. Cassandra will never pay me if I do not meet her demands." He saw the boy lead her behind the shrine of the Sapphire Snake, Nakamara took a few steps in following them.

"Master Nakamara!" Drat, Yasu Hong steps out in front of his path. Interfering again.

Nakamara spoke in Japanese to Hong (A/N: But I make enough mistakes in my own language so I'll just put what they say in English). "[Hong. Why are you here? Are you not supposed to be in the middle of a lesson?]"

Yasu looked stern with just a touch of threatening in his eyes. "[My lesson was on the appreciation of beauty of the natural world, they are to report to me in half an hour to speak about what qualities of nature they most admire.]" Yasu saw the look of annoyance in Nakamara's eyes, and chose to ignore it." [I saw you _watching over_ our newest guests, and then you suddenly departed. Has anything occurred?]"

Nakamara huffed, "[I have no interest in women who should not even _be_ on this sacred ground. I was looking for my pupil. The strange one has taken to accompanying the girl-child everywhere. It is disrupting to his lessons!]"

At this, Yasu made no attempt to hide his glare. "[Those women are honored guests here, Nakamara. It was cleared by the elders for them to come and stay, and thus far there have been no objections to them save for yours. And the only disruption Nora is causing is a disruption of the boy's harassment!]"

"[She is making him weak!]"

"[She is making him able to smile!]" Yasu knew full well about Nakamara's real intentions. His abilities made it easy for him to know what a person was in their hearts. He knew about the amount of money Cassandra had even paid in advance. Nakamara complained about integrity when he was taking bribes? And even worse, making a child's life miserable on the promise of money? Yasu hated this man, but he had no physical evidence… yet. "[Why would you speak so disdainfully of a mere child who barely takes her thumb out of her mouth to speak?]"

At this point, Nakamara was done keeping in his anger too. "[How DARE you speak that way to me you half-bred swine! That boy is my student and he WILL learn as I see fit!]"

"[The Elders may also see it fit to remove you from this temple should they know what you are doing in the shadows!]"

"[You can prove nothing, Hong. The mere accusation of my name will be enough to have _you_ removed!]"

"[And you think this will end with me? You have brought darkness to surface at that boy's heart, Nakamara. It is a master job to enlighten his pupil, guide them on the right path. Not use them and their suffering for personal gain! Another will no doubt see you for what you really are once I have gone.]"

Nakamara pushed pass and turned his back to Yasu Hong. "[An underling so small can never be heard from the ground by his superiors.]" he snubbed the other man. "[Just keep the girl out of my way… and she will come to no harm.]"

Yasu's eyes shot open. "[And to say such a thing is a threat upon an innocent life! A child who not knows your face nor means you any harm. Nakamara I swear that if_ any_ harm comes from to that child, I will know it was your doing….]"

Nakamara merely snorted and calmly walked towards the shrine. Yasu walked on his own way but kept an eye on the malicious character. He saw him go behind the shrine were the children had disappeared. When he came around twice in a confusion, Yasu was able to walk away with a smile.

In English he said, "Perhaps it really was a good thing I told that boy all of the secret passages." Now he and Nora could escape the eyes of Nakamara and enjoy their time together.

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**A/N: Just a few notes...**

**I always thought that Cassandra couldn't have made someone so evil on her own. And it's easy to imagine how she might have had a little help.**

**I felt like I should add Finnwich into this story too. Serpent can't be the only one she had a little prior connection with!**

**Keep reading! And if you like it, review it!**


	5. How He Met Her Mother

**Question: Does anyone have a secenario they might like to see in this?**

**If you do, feel free to explain the scenario in a review at the end.**

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One day Jun couldn't find Nora at their usual meeting place.

Every day she was always right in the doorway with Sensei Hong when he finished training, sucking her thumb and waiting for him to come. But today she wasn't there. And neither was Sensei Hong. Worried that Master Nakamara might see this as a valid reason to stay for an 'extra' lesson, Jun quietly slipped away. At first he remained close to the building, in case Nora was just running late. Of course to an impatient six-year-old, waiting long enough is waiting five minutes. "So she isn't coming, huh?"

Then he realized how rare an opportunity this was. He was free of both Nakamara _and_ Noa! He could go where he wanted, do what he wanted, with no one to tell him otherwise! He could be free!

…

Had Noa just decided to abandon him?

"Grrr!"

Jun was irritated by this.

He felt ridiculous having to look all over the grounds just because a little girl couldn't be in the right place! He grumbled and sneered as he searched through the inner court, by the old shrine, in the Zen garden and by the front gates. Feeling exhausted and running out of patience Jun kicked the closest wall.

"Hey, kid!" Jun looked over to see one of their guests calling over to him. It was the woman with darker red hair. Jun knew her as the one who _wasn't _Noa's mother. She stared down at Jun with a bored expression.

"You looking for 'Noa'?" Winny knew what he called her and put the name up in air quotes.

Jun, following in his instructions, only answered her with a glare.

"I know you speak English." Winny told him. "I've heard you talk to my goddaughter."

Jun continued to glare at this woman who spoke to him in a superior tone. She was no different than any of the others. She looked down on him, underestimated him. In truth, Winny really didn't like him. She couldn't read auras or see into dream like Yasu (secretly) could, but she felt that she could read people. And she felt that a boy like this hanging around Nora could only bring trouble. But as he hadn't yet and now Yasu had joined Helena's side on this matter, Winny felt she was alone in her suspicions. When he refused to give her any kind of response Winny simply rolled her eyes at him. "Look, if you want to play with her, she's in our room. Sleeping." And Winny walked away.

Sleeping? The boy thought this odd because Nora usually fell asleep when the two of them came to the Zen garden on their walk. They would leave from the dojo, walk down one of the paths (Jun usually picked the greener one cause Noa seemed to like them), Jun would explain to her things he knew about the temple, they would go to the garden so Noa could nap where Jun could keep an eye on her, walk some more, explore secret passages and the he took Noa back to her mother. Why would she be sleeping now? To find his answers, Jun rushed off to where he knew the guest quarters were.

Jun reached the room where the Nora and the two other adults stayed. He was fuming mad! "How dare, you, Noa?" he muttered to himself. "How dare you betray me?" There was no spoken promise to meet every day between them. But ever since the day they had met in the Zen garden, Nora had there and insisted on seeing him so he had come to expect it. He realized that because he always ended up enjoying the time he spent with her, that he had been hurt by suddenly dropping their routine!

Why would she do it? Were these women in league with his mother? Was this a part of training him? Noa's arrival was an unexpected surprise, perhaps she was only pretending to be friends with him for her mother's means. As a test. While Jun did not have the mind of a normal child his age, his emotions were just as haphazard as any others. The thought that Noa was only pretending to like him caused a tight ache to form in his chest. It hurt, badly. If there's one lesson the boy had learned from his stay at the temple it was what Nakamara said. 'Expect no sympathy if you are hit. Only use it to measure how much harder to will strike your enemy back!'

To this end, the boy had brought with him a child's wooden staff. It was just a little smaller than him. Jun hadn't actually considered _hitting_ Noa with it, just threatening her that she better confess everything right now or he would. Or maybe just hit something nearby just to get his point across. Jun angrily pushed aside the material in the doorway, entering on the intent of satisfying his anger. But the moment he entered the room…

The staff fell from his hand.

Helena, Noa's mother, was sitting on one of the sleeping mats, her bright blue eyes where staring lovingly down at her daughter, who was peacefully sucking her thumb as she slept on her mother's knees. Jun watched in a kind of awe as she didn't even notice him and gently stroked her daughter's head, soothing, but not waking her. Never had the boy seen such a tender display of love. When Helena's eyes slowly looked up and noticed him standing there, the boy froze. He suddenly felt like he was the outsider, the interloper, the unwanted in this room, in this atmosphere. His 'mother' never looked at him that way, she hardly ever let him near her.

"Jun," Helena, spoke in a soft whisper, "Where you worried about Noa?"

For once, the boy didn't speak out on necessity, but he didn't speak because of a lack of words. "Mm-hmm…" he squeaked out.

Smiling, Helena beckoned him to take a seat beside her and her daughter. Unsure of what he was supposed to do, Jun accepted her warm invitation. He sat on his knees and stared down at the little girl he had run all over the temple for. Oddly, to him, seeing her made him not so mad anymore. Helena began speaking to him, even though she knew he didn't have a reputation for talking.

"Were you worried when she wasn't at your lesson?"

Jun was severely caught off guard by this situation and could only answer honestly. He nodded.

"Did you think something had happened to her?"

Jun blushed, guiltily. That thought had not crossed his mind, he first thought that he had been betrayed and stayed with that. But seeing this, he could see that he had come to the wrong answer… he had failed.

Helena couldn't understand what the boy was thinking. But she thought she understood. "You were mad, eh?"

Jun looked up at her. She talked funny, but she wasn't talking like she was mad or going to punish him. "Noa had a nightmare last night." Helena explained, stroking her child's head. "She couldn't fully explain it, but she said there was some kind of monster. The nightmare kept her up all night… My poor little angel."

Jun was amazed by this. Noa's mother wasn't berating her daughter for being cowardly or weak. It looked more like she wanted her child to be close and depend on her, very much the opposite of what 'Jun' was being raised with.

"Usually, when she has a nightmare like this she asks for me, my husband or Alex." Helena explained. Jun suddenly felt annoyed by the mention of that boy's name who he didn't even know and was miles away. "But this time," Helena smiled brightly up at Jun. "She asked where _you_ were."

"Me?" Jun almost covered his mouth. He had disobeyed! But if Noa's mother didn't punish or scold her for being afraid, maybe she wouldn't tell Cassandra or Master Nakamara.

Helena giggled. Feeling successful for making him talk. "Yes. She said that she wanted Jun. I told her you were in lessons and couldn't be here. She fell asleep, but now she needs to make up the time she lost."

Helena liked this little boy. Everyone avoided him like the plague, everyone who was supposed to be helping him just stayed away from the boy. But here he is. Looking for her precious Nora because she wasn't where she was supposed to be. He had found her twice for Helena! Jun wasn't looking at the adult woman now. He had been so ready to get mad at Noa before he came into this room. But the sight of her and her mother somehow had cooled the raging fire of anger. In its place was a strange feeling of… longing.

This was something he wanted for himself. To have a mother that loved and accepted him without any conditions. To be in a safe place where he wasn't hated or looked down on. There was something else he wanted in addition to all that.

He was conscious of his actions, and Helena made no moves to stop him. Jun cautiously reached out his hand… he leaned and extended his arm out… once he looked up at Helena to see if he could go ahead. She nodded once, granting permission. Jun's hand lightly touched the top of Noa's head and, mimicking her mother's movements, slowly stroked it. Jun felt how soft and warm her head was from her mother' touch, without knowing he began to smile.

"Jun?" Helena began to ask him. It was official: she liked this boy. "Can I… ask you for something?"

Jun gave no answer, but the gaze he gave her said that he was waiting to be asked.

"You've been taking good care of Noa for me and Winny. You've really been the best kind of friend to her."

Friend? Jun… _thought_ that was something he could never have. People lie, cheat, betray, and forget. Human relations are all a power-play, about having connections to the top. Things like loyalty, love, and generosity would forever be taught to him to be illusions. But here they were. All perfect examples of what he had been told were fakes in this very room. Jun couldn't think of what he had done to earn them, and he probably never would. Noa had proven herself, he decided. She would have been there if it wasn't for the nightmare. Jun already knew she was weaker than him, and that she wasn't just relying on him for protection. In fact, Noa had been ignorant of every time she almost tripped, slid, nearly stepped on a snake, or been glared at. Jun had just protected because, for some reason, he wanted to. Maybe… the reason was that she really was his friend.

"It's just…" Helena continued, "She's my only baby. I was already in love with her from the first moment I knew she was coming. And the moment I saw her face, I just knew she was perfect. But everyone else said that since she had been born too early, she wouldn't be strong enough to live. She proved them wrong. Though," Helena laughed, "it looks like trouble still follows her around and she could always use a little help." Jun nodded at that. "That's why her friend back home, Alex, is so important. He protects her. He's there for her in an instant, sometimes even before Henry or I can get there. Nora loves him. And now, it looks like she loves you too!"

Helena giggled at her own words. She meant them, but seemed a little extensive to use the word 'love' for this situation. Jun had even stopped petting Nora's head when she said it. "What I mean is…" Helena looked down at Nora's sleeping form. While Jun had been petting her, her thumb had fallen out of her mouth and she was smiling. Helena thought that was a true testament of how much her daughter trusted this boy. "Noa really likes you, Jun. So I want to ask if you'll keep on being her friend when I'm not around to take care of her. Will you do that?"

Jun looked at Helena, then down at Noa. She needed him. Not to be the strongest or the most skilled; she just needed him _there_. "Okay." He said.

Helena lightly stroked the boy's head in gratitude three times. Jun blushed, and smiled up at the woman who told him he had a friend and that he was important. He couldn't even remember why he had come in here mad anymore. Helena would never know or listen to any person who talked negatively about the boy after this. He was her daughter's new friend and protector.

That was when Nora started waking up. Blinking her eyes and stretching from a peaceful sleep, once her vision cleared the first thing she said was, "June! June!" And hugged her best friend.

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**A/N: I'm not trying to make them longer!**

**But that's how Serpent met Nora's mother. (And yes, I'v watched HIMYM.)**

**Liked it? Hated it? Too much? Let me know in a review.**


	6. Beware What You Say

**Back again!**

**In this one, I wanted to show the dynamics of Nora's adult figures.**

**Watch what they talk about.**

**See who and what they are talking about. What connections can you make?**

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Helena and Winny came to the Temple of the Sapphire Snake for more than just girl-time. They also included Yasu in their chats, though he more listened and threw in comments where he could. And fought with Winnona until Helena would break them up. These were three friends who knew each from back in their high schools. They all met when Helena transferred into Winny's high school. Winny already had the reputation as the school's prankster, and Helena's mischievous yet sweet personality made for a good fit with hers. Yasu came into the equation when he entered as a transfer scholar and resulted in a touch more common sense into the girls' lives. Helena was more of a success than Winny.

As they were sharing a lunch under a sculpted pine tree, Helena was telling them about the best friend she had in ninth and tenth grade. "So Veronica- she set the yeti claw to fall out right when the librarian got her the book she needed. The poor old woman got up on the step, pulled out the book, the big white claw fell out and she ran screaming all the way to the principal's office!"

Even Yasu burst out laughing at the story. Winny took a sip of tea and said, "I hate to admit it, but I really want to meet this woman. You still in contact with… Vicky?"

"Veronica." Helena corrected. "And I lost all contact with her before college. She stopped writing back and everything. I just wonder what happened to her after high school. I remember she wanted to become a scientist, I guess we just drifted apart."

"So, from pranksters to scientists and teachers." Winny observed. "Girl, it's no wonder all the crazy kids like you."

"Well, I don't want to be like the teachers Veronica and I had. They all thought that since we didn't pay attention and just caused trouble that we weren't as smart as the science and math geniuses. Veronica really was. She could make a better stink bomb than anybody! I just added the creativity to set up the pranks."

"You both complemented each other." Yasu said. He then noticed Winny had the beginnings of jealousy on her face. "In the same way, you and Winnona _balance _each other."

Winny looked questioning over at him. "Balance each other? How's that?"

"You are also very… free-spirited, Winnona. You speak your mind with no qualms, and you do not hold back your feelings when it comes to your friends." Winny smiled at his answer. Yasu still had more to say. "And I remember Helena being mischievous as well. But she also has a kind and loving heart that often made her have to tell you when to stop when a joke went too far."

"He's right." Helena said. "I remember one time you wanted set off a shaving cream timer-bomb in the teacher's lounge."

"Hey! I was just going after the geometry teacher who… who… what did he do?"

Yasu tried to remember. "I believe it was something about an unjust remark on a piece of homework?"

"Well, I don't remember it now. But I remember Lena talking me out of it and instead doing another prank. Less dramatic and more concentrated. We took his soda cup and placed a ketchup packet at the bottom of his straw."

Helena snickered. "And we watched from outside. It was hilarious! I think the teachers started always taking their drinks with them as a cautious measure."

Even Yasu laughed along with them. At the time, he hadn't approved of Winny or Helena's antics, but he never reported the girls. Especially after seeing they only targeted those who treated them unfairly. Some of the teachers would learn from their experiences, while others would indignantly continue to tyrannically torment their students. Yasu Hong never questioned his teachers, but at the Canadian high school, he quickly learned there is such a thing as good and bad ones.

"Okay, that's enough about Lena's past. Yasu, how'd you end up here?"

Yasu took a sip of tea and calmly began to tell them. "I was denied entry to this place some years ago, actually. They said that simply being half-Japanese from my mother's side made my blood impure. But some years ago, there was a change. A man known as Maxwell Finnwich saved the temple in a time where they desperately needed money to rebuild. For his charity, he simply asked the Elders to allow others past their gates. That way, more people would be able to see the temple's worth and be more willing to aid in it standing to the side of the mountain.

"They sent a message to me, saying they would appreciate me teaching 'newer' students. In addition, I also help teach the instructors to open their minds to the bigger world outside their own." Yasu didn't mention that the only one who bitterly rejected his wisdom was Nakamara. If he mentioned such a person in front of Winnona, there was a very good chance she would go on the war path.

"And thus, Yasu Hong became a Sensei at the Temple of the Sapphire Snake." Winny bowed from her sitting position, pressing a fist into a flat hand. "I get the story is about the valley's guardian, Yasu. But if you're trying to encourage people to come here, you're gonna need a better mascot."

"No, no, no!" Yasu said to Winnona. "The Sapphire Snake is a holy figure, it cannot be changed."

"Well, it should! How often are snakes depicted as evil, manipulating, slimy, and death? Not a lot of 'outside-world' people would exactly want their kids learning at a school that honors snakes!"

Yasu grumbled. Winny was looking at this with a dim view. Yasu knew that there were hundreds of cultures who saw snakes as bad omens. He half expected Helena to jump in and tell Winny that her words were not true, but she remained silently staring at her steaming cup of tea. He would have to defend this alone.

"Winnona, that is unfair. True that snakes are not favored by a great number of people, but there is an equal number who would say that a snake is a very good omen." This was part of the culture Yasu grew up with. He knew that snakes could be dangerous, but that isn't the only side of things. "Here the snake is seen as a _guardian_. It used its powers to defend others, not itself alone. The snakes are close to the earth so they represent earth energies which include healing, unconscious ambition, and primal instincts."

"Those last two could be used against you." Winny remarked. She had noticed a snake-like instructor (Nakamara) lurking about the school. She could see greed behind his eyes even at a distance.

"Think of it more as spiritual guidance. We teach our students to best defend without the need for weapons of any kind. That way no matter the threat around them, they can defend themselves and other people. The presence of a snake often means a period of transition and points the way to personal growth."

"Or to the hospital."

"Winnona! And in dreams seeing a snake is a foreboding of a life-changing event! A transformation!" Yasu knew the most of interpretations of dreams. "A snake leaves a strong impression on a dreamer, making them look at important facts in their lives! The dreamer can be disturbed and often frightened by these dreams, but that would be the point of it showing. To make the person look and be aware of their life."

"Or make it so they have to look under their beds and not sleep when they wake up! Snakes are poisonous, Yasu! Duh, they freak people out and scare them!"

"You are being obstinate, Winnona!"

"No, I'm being realistic! Helena, tell him!"

But Helena didn't say a thing. Bewildered at her silence while the two of them were clearly fighting, Yasu and Winny looked to see her smiling down into her tea, true serenity written on her face. No longer arguing, the two looked at each other and then looked strangely back at Helena. She had _always_ broken up their fights before they could get really heated. Not having that consistent interruption, made whatever could be occupying Helena's thoughts much more interesting than the snake conversation.

Ironically, it was the extended ten seconds of silence that snapped the mother out of her thoughts. "Hm?" she said. "Did you guys say something?"

Winny quirked an eyebrow and looked over at Yasu. She said to Helena. "Yeeeeaaah… What's got your head all up in the clouds?"

"Oh, um," Helen wondered how she was going to explain this. "I was just thinking about that guy's name you said earlier. Maxwell… Finnwich? The one who donated money to save the temple."

"That is his name." Yasu nodded. "As I understand it."

"I was just thinking, if outsiders were never really allowed in here before, how did they know who to ask for the money?"

"Ah," Yasu understood. At least he thought he did. "That I was never fully told. But if there is any credit to the rumor… Dr. Finnwich came here himself on a kind of expedition. He offered a very generous amount of money to the Temple and then simply disappeared."

"I see." Helena drank a bit more tea before continuing. "I was just thinking that that was an amazing amount of generosity. When rich people have their money, they tend to keep it. And then they try to get even more when someone else gets more. This Finnwich… I can't really place it, but his name sounds kind of familiar."

"Well, it _should_ be!" Winny told her friend. "I'd bet the farm that this was probably, Finnwich Jr. or something. The original was some kind of inventor or stockholder who made a mint and helped form the Mobile Wireless Federation decades back. I heard he died in a fire at his mansion."

"What did his son do?" Helena asked.

"Funny….but there wasn't any mention of him being married or having a family when I looked him up. Bet the old guy just had an affair years back and that kid's inheritance had to be kept hushed up so he was sent globe-trotting. Pssh, lucky brat."

Helena laughed and shook her head. "Well, that's a family situation I _don't_ mind being out of. I'd just like enough money so Henry, Nora and I can live in our nice house in our nice neighborhood and she can get the kind of education she needs when she's older. Being that rich and having the world following your every move… it'd be suffocating."

Yasu said, "It is likely none of us will ever know that. Save Winny."

She lifted her tea glass in a toast. "Yup. But I'm not conforming to selfish, greedy, umbrella-up-the-butt lifestyle. Imma gonna see every corner of this world even if it kills me! And when it does then Helena can have all my money and send Nora to college with it!" The group laughed once again.

Helena was feeling so happy that she had given in to Winnona and come here. These were the moments life was lived for. Being with people you can talk, laugh, fight and share hopes with; that was what her grandmother once told her to always treasure in life. Helena held dear all the fun times she had in high school with Veronica, just as much as she did with Winny and Yasu. Dating Alfonso had been a blast, but there had been next to no steady ground to stand on with him. That's what she had with Henry. A shy, modest, reserved boy who had taken all his courage to ask her out on her way home one day, and now the two of them had the most adorable little girl.

Nora was growing up so fast too. Since coming to the Temple and making friends with Jun, Helena thought that her daughter was over her thumb sucking. Helena also thought as she continued to enjoying this day, that she actually might like to come back here again. Another summer. When Nora would be a bit older and able to walk up those stairs herself. Maybe even Jun would still be here and he and Nora could become friends again. She could almost imagine it, Nora growing up into a strong and beautiful young lady, no doubt having fun whenever Winny showed up to play godmother, maybe seeing Yasu on occasion and listening to his long proverbs.

In her fantasy she saw herself at least somewhere close by to her daughter. Nora would hate to be left all alone. Helena hoped that she might make more friends as she got older, but at least Alex would be there to help her. Helena never let so much as one negative thought enter her dreams about her daughter's future. In them she imagined always being there along with Henry to help her through them, just like her own mother did when her father died. Helena saw Nora not having a care in the world. She would be sweet, innocent and loving forever.

Just like all mothers dream of the future they wish for their child.

* * *

**Small World, Big Coincidences... Yep.**

**Gonna start getting to the end here. Unless anyone has soemthing they might like to see in this?**

**Writers like reviews, you like chpaters! So leave reviews and you shall recieve!**

**Next time: Evil Intentions, The Unbalanced Master**

**Crystal Out**


	7. Evil Intentions, The Unbalanced Master

**I haven't placed a disclaimer yet (I think). But I assume everyone knows I do not own any of the Detentionaire characters.**

**Just to be safe.**

**And I also want to add that I've made my own mythology to this. I've used names, but they are at best only similar in the aspects of other mythological creatures.**

**Any one wondering why my OC, Nora Prowler, doesn't remember any of this?**

**Two more chapters and you can find out.**

* * *

Nakamara received a call on his secretly acquired phone.

"How is he?" The woman's question was curt, not concerned.

"He has made good progress. None of the other students his age, or even older, can match him. He creates fear when he so much as walks close to anyone. The boy has become exceedingly cold in his demeanor, your order to not allow him to speak is impressive."

"Spare me." This was Cassandra. Though she loved the feeling of power when people were kissing up to her, what she really wanted were results that met her perfect standards. Anyone who failed, well… it didn't go well for them. "You don't think I have people watching you? He's bee shirking off, and you have done nothing to correct this! I've paid you half the amount we agreed on, and you will only get the rest when you do your job _right._"

"This is not my fault, Madam." Nakamara felt humiliated to be answering to a woman. But if this woman had money, he would do it. "Hong has been breathing down my neck, and my methods must be kept from reaching the Elders' ears. That interloper has quite the skill in gathering information. I fear he may know of our agreement, Mistress McAdams."

"I don't care about excuses! As long as there is no physical evidence Mr. Hong won't have any ammo against you. I want the assassin you promised me, Nakamara. Cold, ruthless, and loyal only to me. The Council needs him to be nothing short of the best, and you need our funding in order to set up that new temple you want."

An idea had been on Nakamara's mind for a while, he thought now would be the best time to bring it up. "If you gave me the money now, I could start the temple and make you a whole legion of assassins."

"Tempting," Cassandra said. "But no. Our operations are best kept under the radar, an army would bring too much attention to our activities. That's why we need one, single, little, obedient brat that can complete his assignments with no error. That's what I expect, because that is what I was promised _from you._ I won't tolerate any more excuses. He's there to be preparing to be The Council's muscle, not to be some three-year-old's playmate!"

Nakamara truly hated that child now. She was keeping him from his temple! She was just as much of an annoyance as Yasu. "You can hardly place the blame on me for that either, Mistress. Yasu either brings her or the boy sneaks off to find her. I am keeping our secret from Hong, but the boy's methods of escaping my trained eyes surely must be seen that he has the ability to avoid capture. That is a quality of an assassin."

"Or a sign that your sight is failing you, Nakamara." Cassandra dead-panned. "That boy needs to know that he not the superior in this. Such an upbringing might inspire a rebellion in future years. And if you are failing, than perhaps I should consider coming over there and finding another master for him."

Nakamara's black heart shook with fear. He could not allow this! The old traditions would be lost forever. "I-I will see to it that the child is dealt with. The boy will be brought back under control, Mistress. You will have what I promised!"

Cassandra grinned from her end of the phone. "I better. Mr. Nakamara, I didn't feel the need to tell you this at the beginning but… far worse things than losing your dream-home happen to those who fail us." And she hung up.

Nakamara was boiling in fury. At first his ire was born from the fact that he needed a woman's help to get the money or what he wanted. Now his plans were being threatened, and by a mere child no less! She is foreign-born, she has no relations to this country, she can't even take her finger out of her mouth yet! How could something so weak cause this great of a disturbance? This all had to be a ploy by Hong! Nakamara felt sure of it! He must have asked those two women to come here and bring the girl in order to distract Cassandra's boy from his training.

"They dare to plot against me." Nakamara clenched his hand around the phone in his dark corner of the outer temple. He cursed Hong, he cursed the two foreign women, and, even more so, cursed that little girl they brought with them. They were poison in his plans to reestablish the old laws, to revive the world his father raised him to be the greatest in. That is when a diabolical plot formed in Nakamara's mind. Poison. He cruelly chuckled "Yes, they are poison. And as Mistress McAdams demands they must be removed. I am an honorable man, I will remove them justly. They plot against a Master of this temple, they should be aware of the consequences."

Nakamara was too old to take the small secret passageways and crawl spaces that young Jun explored. But he knew of other secrets about this temple, secrets that _foreign_ _swine_ like the boy, and Hong could not possibly know of. His father had taught him every inch of this mountain and all its sacred places. Sacred, and dangerous to those who did not know of them. He had one in mind that would greatly aid him in his plan. He would call upon a descendent of the mountain's spirit.

* * *

As his father had long ago instructed him, Nakamara left in the dead night with only a torch in hand to light his way. He told the monks that he was going down the side of the mountain to collect medicinal herbs. He was not questioned, and he was careful to avoid Yasu for the entire day. Nakamara did go down the steep side of the mountain, he knew where to place his feet and had the determination to take the risk. But he went farther than the acolytes and even the Elders dared to go. He went to an open crevice in the side of the mountain, set the torch in a cracked rock by the enterance.

"[Oh, Great Maculinda,]" Nakamara bowed low and called on the spirit of the Serpent King in Japanese. His father had told him how. "[Trespassers and thieves have entered the holy temple which you carry on your back. They disrupt our days and leave us questioning throughout the night. They threaten the very existence of the temple! I beg you. Lend me the aid of one of your children, that they be reminded of your power and driven out of your most sacred home.]"

According to legend, Maculinda could not deny one who wished to defend his own home and would readily lend the power of his children if so much as a monk asked. Being a Master, Nakamara felt assured that the Sapphire Snake would give him what he wanted. It was midnight when the request had been made. Nakamara waited half an hour before angrily shouting.

"[Do you not hear me through the rock!? I, Master Ryuuske Nakamara, son of many great masters who have devoted their lives to this temple, _demand_ you give me the poison of your offspring to rid this mountain of those interloping, dirty-blooded scum!]" Still nothing. Nakamara shouted so loudly it reverberated off the walls in the crevice. "[Do you not understand that the Temple has been defiled?! That the Elders have turned against the laws? The _only_ one who seeks to regain the honor of that place is I and now I _demand_ the weapon to regain what should never have been lost!]"

Whether it was really the ancient spirit, or Nakamara's voice harshly bouncing off the walls of the mountain, something awakened. One, small, female snake opened its red eyes, and slithered out of her hole in the mountain. She let out a hiss that Nakamara heard and ceased his accusations. When the small serpent came out into the light, Nakamara gazed at her. The Sapphire Snake's descendants only hunted during the night on the mountain, their numbers have always been few and their species exclusive to this mountain. The snake that came out of the crevice was a greyish blue boa constrictor just over a foot long, the very kind Nakamara's father had told him about.

Now it was the hard part. Now, even though Nakamara was a Master at the temple, he had to prove himself worthy of the Sapphire Serpent's help. As the snake stared up at him with red pupils and dull, yellow eyes; Nakamara crouched into a fighting position. The little snake somehow understood this. Her forefathers had on occasion faced creatures like this, and were taken away for a short time. If she bit him, she could immediately return to her home, but if he should capture and immobilize her, she would become his servant.

Knowing this the little snake glared at the one who dared disturb her home. She pulled back her head and let out a loud hiss at his threatening stance.

Nakamara's glare hardened. He did not move.

The snake remained still.

The moon moved above them, but the battle had to take place.

It was the young snake who made the first move. Having no patience, she leaped and bared her fangs at the threatening creature. Mid-air in a second, and right in front of Nakamara in the same second… She failed. With lightning-fast movement, Nakamara caught the snake from the back of her head in a vice-like grip. And she was less than an inch from his face when he did.

The snake felt her throat being squeezed on, and knew that she was defeated. Submissively, her body went limp. Nakamara grinned a sick smile, and spoke to his little captive.

"[You _will_ obey me.]" He said to her. In response, the young snake gently wrapped herself around his arm, concealed by the black robe he was wearing. "[Good.]" Nakamara crooned, loosening his hand on her. Nakamara observed the servant he had been offered. She was obviously young; her venom might not be so potent enough to affect an adult. "[You will do nicely.]" He told her as he began walking back. "[I have an _irritating _child I need you to rid me of.]"

* * *

**A/N: Uh-oh...**

**Bad guy on the move.**

**Review if you want to see the next part.**


	8. Poisoned Memories

**Alrighty, I'm going to star 'wrapping this up' for the holidays.**

**I only own my OCs: Nora, Helena, Winny, Sensei Hong, and Nakamara.**

* * *

**No One's POV**

Winny, Helena and Nora were by themselves in the main courtyard. The two were recovering from a strenuous class with another teacher sine Yasu was busy with the young students that day. "Okay!" Helena sighed as she sat down, "Aikido for the day is done. Phew! What did you think, Nora?"

Nora couldn't do much of the activities, though she sometimes tried. It mostly ended up with her hugging everybody. Winny feigned losing to her and even got their instructor laughing. "I had fun, Mommy." She answered her mother.

"Of course you did!" Winny pulled Nora into her lap which the little girl shrieked and giggled at. "This little mouse is going to be the next Karate Kid! We should have Yasu start teaching her aikido when her arms start getting longer." (A/N: Google 'Aikido' for further information)

"Winny!" Helena playfully nudged her. "Nora doesn't need to learn how to fight people. I doubt Henry has any plans to put her in a bad neighborhood, and I know I certainly don't! Plus, she still has Alex. Anything that happens when Henry, me and of course you, aren't around, he'll definitely take care of her."

For a rare moment, Winny's face got all serious. "Alright, I think we should get one thing straight with all this." she took Nora out of her lap and set her to the side so Winny could face her mother. "Helena Angeline formerly-Floros, your head is _way_ too up in the clouds for your age."

"What?"

"You really don't see it! Helena, Alfonso **never** gave up on you! The reason you couldn't have a real relationship with anyone in between him and Henry is because he would threaten and scare them into breaking up with you!"

"Why would-" Winny wasn't giving her a chance to stop.

"The only reason Henry even got a chance was because Alfonso's dad had him study abroad in Spain for two years. Even when he came back and heard you were engaged he tried to stop everything! The only reason he didn't succeed this time was because I fought him at every turn and told him to back off or I'd tell you everything."

Helena's jaw had by now completely dropped. Not only was this beyond Winona's usual kind of criticism of her old boyfriend, these sounded much more serious than her sarcasm.

"And yes, he got married, he got a job and left you alone. But now he's still obsessed! I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one's looking. I know he purposely moved as close as he could to you. Even if Henry is oblivious to it and his wife Athena barely notices, he's trying to push one of his sons onto your daughter!"

That was the limit line.

"Now hold on." Helena spoke in a steady voice. The one she used when her students were on the verge of a brawl. "Winnona…even if I believed any of this, why tell me now?"

"_Now_ Henry isn't around to get suspicious, and there's no spy here to report back to Alfonso."

"You're accusing a little boy of espionage? Really, Winny?"

"Kids tell their parents everything! That what makes that Alex-kid such an agent. Even if he hears a little thing that's odd he'll either tell his dad or his mom. Alfonso is greed incarnate. You knew this and that's why you broke up with him; now he thinks that if he can't have you he'll at least get your daughter to be his daughter-in-law through Alex!"

"Sheesh! You're making their hold friendship sound like a conspiracy."

"It IS a conspiracy!"

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe you're just being too defensive, or that Alex genuinely likes Nora?"

Winny breathed to calm herself. "I can't say for sure how that little kid feels about Nora. What I can say for sure is that Alfonso has never liked losing and that he'll fight until the war is over. Lena, we met as kids, then got separated for a while before meeting again in high school. Believe me, I thought Alfonso's affection was dead and buried, and I've stayed off your case because I know nothing can shake your love for Henry. But now Nora's becoming a target."

Helena wasn't sure how to respond. On first instinct she should reprimand Winny for accusing Alfonso of such a thing! Sure Alfonso had been self-absorbed in his teenage years, but that was so long ago and now he owned an international company. It did seem odd that with him and his wife, who had such high paying jobs, would choose to live just three houses down from a drama-teacher and security designer. But Alfonso had also had a touch of 'eccentricism' about him, though nothing suggested to Helena he would continue to pursue his high school sweetheart long after both of them were married and had children!

Then Winny… yes, at times she could be irrational and over the top, but she not got verbally (or physically) violent unless there was some means behind it. Despite her being a past prankster, Winny wasn't all that spiteful. Helena wasn't exactly sure how much of this was out of suspicion, just that if Winny was worried about this, then she better give the matter some attention.

Calmly she said, "Okay, Winny. I don't want to be paranoid about this. He is still my neighbor. Plus, I've been getting along great with Athena and I don't want Nora to stop being friends with Alex in case he and her do genuinely want to stay friends."

"They're young and impressionable!" Winny continued to protest. "Truth is: I don't think you should trust _anyone_ from that neighborhood, Helena. Alfonso's got a lot of holds around the area, everyone from the school to the local officials knows who he is."

"That just makes it even safer. Doesn't it?"

"From everyone else, but not from him. A single person shouldn't have that much community power like he does. Look, I know you think Al is still a good guy. And Lena, the best thing about you is that you see the good in everyone… even when it's not there."

* * *

Now while the adults were 'talking', Nora had quickly lost interest in them. She didn't want to wander away from her mom,, but when she saw that Jun had come and was standing in one of the open archways she quickly waved in his direction. While she was running over, Helena actually looked past her protective, issue-confronting friend to see exactly who Nora was running to. Seeing that it was Jun, Helena locked eyes with him and waved, telling him it was okay to take her.

"Jun!" Nora greeted him.

"Shh!" he hushed her. He knew that while her mother may be alright with them going off to play, Aunt Winny would be against it. And right now she didn't look like she was in a good mood. Taking her hand, Jun quietly snuck her away. "Let's go, Noa."

Jun was in high spirits today. Nakamara had not been seen all day, according to his replacement master her was observing a kind of spiritual meditation and would be in his room for about a week. This was incredible luck! Jun wanted to start the day off right in their favorite place: The Zen garden where they first met.

On the way, Jun filled Noa in on his plan for them today. "First we play in the garden. I brought food so you can feed the fishies, but don't let your dress get wet this time. I'll show you this new move I learned too. It's hard, but I can get it right. Then we can go to the secret passages again; I found two more the day before yesterday. One leads to a secret room in the temple, and the other leads outside. "

Noa listened while he talked. She hadn't yet pulled out a sucker for either of them. Nowadays she only needed two: one for herself and the other for Jun. She always made sure that her mother gave her a blue one cause Jun liked those. She didn't mind any color for herself. "Jun want?" she offered him his lollipop right then and there.

"Later, Noa." He said. He didn't usually refuse. He just wanted to wait for when Noa would need to stop for her nap so he could enjoy it. "If you feel like it later, I'll also take you to a special place I found."

Nora gasped in excitement.

"Hee-hee~! No secrets!" he teased. "But it's a really pretty place with lots of pink flowers. You will like it!"

They finally arrived at the garden. Jun was careful to make sure he was holding on tightly to Nora, she often took off running when she came here if she wasn't ready for her nap. It wasn't just that he made a promise to her mother to protect her. Noa was _his_. Jun had grown attached to this young girl more quickly than even he realized. It wasn't just that he noticed she needed protection because of the amount she needed in just walking around; Noa got him to laugh with her silly talking, she talked to him like he was a person, she listened to him when he talked, and overall, Noa was just the only person who wasn't after an personal gain with him. She never judged or told him what to do; she didn't look down on him or seemed a little afraid of him.

She treated him like a friend. He decided they relationship they had fit the word well enough.

Nora knew Jun's squeezing hand meant she wasn't supposed to run off. But she was a little girl! She wanted to run and play and laugh. So, in trying to do both, she squealed and took off running down the path with Jun in tow.

"Noa!" Jun called, not really pulling to make her stop.

Nora giggled and called, "Play with me, Jun!" Nora's running became a swirl of zig-zags and twirling, so much that Jun could no longer hold onto her. He stumbled, giving Noa a full head start in front of him,

"Noa," Jun laughed along with her, trying to catch up. "Come back here!"

"Hee-hee-hee!" Nora giggled waving back. She ran off down the path, feeling tag was the best game, and ran to the hydrangea bushes where she first met Jun.

* * *

**Earlier that day…**

Nakamara notified the Temple of his 'meditation'. This accomplished two parts of his plane. One: with him gone, Yasu Hong was assigned to manage his regular students. And two: he would be blameless when the deed was done. Now not only was his biggest threat out of the way, he could freely move about the grounds without anybody looking for him.

He knew the little brats would eventually come to the garden. He only needed to choose the proper place to conceal little 'co-conspirator'. "[Now remember,[" he whispered to the snake. "[your target it a small, presumptuous, girl. Leave the boy be, for now. I will come and return you when your task is complete.]" Nakamara looked around the garden for a place to conceal the snake. He looked about the path. "[You cannot be seen by _anyone_ before the girl.]" The snake would be easily spotted on the bridge or anywhere near the enterance. Nakamara began thinking of where a child would go, "[Yes…]" he realized he didn't need to leave her in an open space. Just a teeny-tiny one where a small girl would go running out of sight and be bitten before anyone could help her. "[Here! Stay!]" He thrust the snake behind a bush of blue hydrangeas. "Hmhmhm." He laughed darkly. "[Perfection.]"

And he silently made his way back to his room.

* * *

**A/N: I'm only stopping here because i promised myself I would not make any of these more that 3,000 works long.**

**There will be more next time, plus I promise an Extra at the end.**


	9. Torn Apart

**Last Chapter of the drabble. **

**Maybe I'll just break my 3,000 rule and add the epilogue here too.**

**No Season 5 in sight.**

**Let thm know we want more!**

**Not just reading fanfiction! Liking videos, watching the show, writing letters, adding to the wiki!**

**I know yuo can do it if you really want it!**

**Now for the story...**

* * *

**Back With Helena and Winny**

"Winny, you _have _to know this sounds… outrageous! Alfonso is happy with Athena! They have three high-achieving boys, and both of them are happy to come over at least once very few weeks."

"Oh, get real! Even I hear them arguing over at that house when I come over. That's how I know he isn't stopping! I wanted you to come here so that you would think about and do something about this when you take Nora home!"

"That's another thing: why bring in my daughter and her friend into this? You're not going to say Nora's in on this conspiracy too, are you?"

Winny threw her hands up in frustration. "No! She's another victim! You saw how fast she got attached to that Jun-kid as soon as she saw him. And it doesn't take much to leave an impression on a kid her age. Alfonso's son is going to stop being her friend just as soon as Alfonso realizes there was no winning this war."

Helena rolled her eyes. "Winny, I'm trying to understand where you're coming, but seeing Al as an evil, manipulative,….scheming…obsessive…."

"Something wrong?" Winny noticed Helena was struggling with words.

"Being a parent suddenly makes all cuss words taboo for me."

Before Winny could make a remark, the two were interrupted by a frantic voice. "Helena! Winnona!" They looked to see Yasu Hong, his robe and hair a mess and sweat flowing off his brow. Concerned the two women got up and walked over to him.

"Yasu, what's wrong?" Helena asked. Looking at the state he was in, something was definitely wrong.

"Nora," he panted, "Where is Nora?"

Winny looked back at the place she and Helena had been sitting. "Don't look at me. The mother was present this time!"

Helena clicked her tongue. "Yes, I was Winnona. And I happen to have seen go off with Jun. She's safe with him, I gave him permission to take her while you were talking."

Winny face-palmed herself. "Maybe I'm really not mother material."

"Or you don't really see all the details." Helena stated.

"That isn't important right now!" Yasu shouted. He had really lost his composure, whatever the reason was. "We need to find her and the boy right now!"

"Yasu, what going on?" Helena was feeling a little sacred right now. "What's the problem? Why do you need to know where Helena is?"

Yasu grabbed onto Helena shoulders and stared her straight in the eyes. "There is a Safaiasunēku on the grounds!"

"A what?" Helena asked.

"That's Japanese for sapphire snake, Lena." Winny explained, now looking as scared as Yasu. "That's where the legend comes from. They're a rare kind of boa constrictor found only on this mountain. They're distinct so it's part of preserving the temple that these guys aren't bothered here."

"But there's only one reason why one would be in the Temple." Yasu told them. "We need to find the children immediately and keep them inside."

Helena had gasped at finding out a snake could harm her daughter right this very minute. She now understood why Yasu felt so urgent. "We'll start at the Zen garden, they love going there."

"And it's a good place for a snake to hide." Winny added. She was met with glares. "Sorry, that didn't help. Let's go!"

* * *

**In the garden…**

"Noa?" Jun had lost sight of her while chasing his friend through the garden. She was pretty fast for a three-year-old. He could still here her giggling from behind some of the foliage. "Where are you~?" He could hear what sounded like stifled laugh, and then some movement. Smart, she was changing places. Jun crouched down, looking like a hunter trying to track his prey. "Hee-Hee~! I'm going to catch you~." He saw a pair of flowers move.

"Got you!" he proclaimed pulling back the branches. But there was nothing there.

"Huh?"

Suddenly Jun felt he was being pushed to the side and realized he was being hugged from the side. "I got Jun!" Nora called out, laughing from her fun.

"No, no, Noa." Jun lowered his arms and patted her on the head, like he had seen her mother doing, "You are supposed to hide, and _I_ seek you out."

"Found Jun!" Nora repeated.

Jun sighed, giving up. "Fine. You found me."

Nora hugged him tighter and said, "I wuv June."

Jun was…simply in awe. She had said that so mildly, like it was a simply known fact. 'Wuv', did she mean 'love'? He knew her speech wasn't perfect, but did he hear her right? Nora however, was oblivious to Jun feelings for the moment and just stared up smiling at him. Mimicking something her aunt would sometimes do to her, she reached up and tapped Jun on the nose.

"Tag!" And she ran off again.

Jun's jaw was slightly open by what she had just said and run off. Did she mean that? By the time he could gather his thoughts Nora had was halfway back across the garden. "Noa, come back here!"

Giggling at the new game, Nora ran farther from Jun. She stopped to look for a place to hide in (being three all the best games had the same thing). She saw the hydrangea bush. She toddled her way up to it. Unknown to her, a little blue snake had been stirred by the commotion in the garden. She peered out from her hiding place. Yes! Her target was coming right to her!

Jun saw Noa go behind the hydrangea bush.

She smiled back at him before disappearing behind it.

The little snake pulled back to best leap and complete her mission.

Nora stepped completely behind the thick stems and blue bunches.

The snake hissed and leaped.

Nora saw it.

She screamed.

* * *

Helena, Winnona and Yasu arrived just outside the entrance when the scream echoed out. Helena dashed right in with Winny and then Yasu immediately behind her. What the saw was Jun pulling a crying Nora out onto the stone path. They rushed to the two children.

"Noa!" Jun didn't know what was wrong. First Noa had screamed, then she was crying, then she wouldn't stop falling down! He had looked when he found her and seen a blue tail crawling back behind the rocks. When the adults came, Nora's mother immediately cradled her in her arms. It was clear that she had been just crying, but now she was looking sleepy.

"Ma…ma…" was all she said.

"What happened?" Helena asked frantically, "Was it that snake?"

Yasu and Winnona were both leaning over Helena's shoulders, trying to get a look at Nora. Because of how Helena was holding her, Yasu was able to get a look at her arm.

"She's been bitten." He tried to say it to not cause Helena any worse worry. But really, how could he? Yasu examined the bite. There was blood, but not a dangerous amount. He almost concluded that Nora had simply fainted out of fear… before he noticed a clear, smeary liquid around the bite. With two finger he wiped the spot of the snake bite and sniffed it. There was the scent of blood, and… "Poison!"

No sense acting like this wasn't an emergency. "Helena come with me to the Elders! Winnona go call the hospital in the Valley! Hurry!"

All of them ran out of the garden to do their tasks to save the little girl. Leaving a confused, scared and sad little boy alone and wondering what was going to happen to his friend.

In the next three hours, everything fell apart.

Helena and Sensei Hong brought Nora to the Elders, the oldest masters of the temple. They identified the snake, but not the poison. Through Yasu, they explained that these snakes are constrictors. Fast, and can rip their prey with their teeth, but they possess no poison in their fangs.

"Then why is there poison here?" Helena frantically questioned. "How did a non-venomous snake get poison in my daughter!?"

Yasu's teeth clenched along with his fists and he began to shake visibly with rage. Suddenly the little girl let out something like a whimper. "Nora?" Everyone turned their attention to the mother and daughter. "Sweetie? Mama's here."

"Mama… sick…" she weakly replied. Nora only knew she wasn't feeling good. She felt sleepy and very sick.

Forgetting his anger, Yasu said. "We will do what we need to here. Helena for now go to Winnona and see how long it will for medical attention to get here."

"I'm _not_ leaving my daughter!" she firmly protested.

"I promise you she will be safe with us. We may be able to identify the poison, but if help can get here faster then we will let them take her to the hospital."

Completely thrown off by this situation, Helena agreed to go, hugging her baby and handing her to Yasu before going back to her room to find Winny. Now alone, Yasu placed the little girl in on a mat as one of the Elders began to examine the mark and poison on it.

"[Grand Master Okawa, do you recognize this?]" Yasu urgently asked the Elder.

"Hai," he responded. "[Tis a creation of this very mountain. It was once taught here to be placed on arrows and spears in times of battle. The poison is known as Memory Fog. Once it spreads through the blood, it weakens the muscles and eventually one's entire mind will be erased. This child was not exposed to much, but it might not take much to do her harm.]"

Yasu gasped. He had a prime suspect to this deed, but he could have never have imagined he would go this far! "[Is there an antidote? Something to slow or stop the poison?]"

The Elder replied, "[For an adult, a warrior, it would take a full day to reach full effect. But… a mere child…]" Okawa did not need to say any more. His look of anguish said it all. "[What the mountain has done, it can also undo it. But it would be best to take her to a place of healing.]"

Medics arrived via helicopter to immediately take Nora, Winny and Helena to the hospital below the mountain. The elders had applied a salve over the wound to counteract the poison, but only moment before the little girl was rushed to the Emergency Room. Helena was in tears through the whole wait, while Winny could only silently comfort and hold her friend while staring at the door to the ER.

"My baby…" Helena wept, "My little baby!"

"Helena…" Winny's chipper, and optimistic personality just couldn't make itself surface. She wanted to say that Nora had beaten odds against her before, to say that she would get through this and would be fine in a day or to, she wanted to assure Helena that it wouldn't be long before she could hold her smiling angel again. But… as Winny stared at those still doors with a red light over them she couldn't concentrate. She didn't even wonder how Nora could have been poisoned by a _constrictor_.

* * *

**1 hour later... At the Temple**

Back at the temple, Yasu was sitting hunched over in his rooms. His mind was racing with thoughts of guilt, anger, fear, and revenge. He wondered how is abilities could have missed such a thing. How Nakamara's own human consciousness would allow for such a monstrous deed to be done. He was partially angry at himself for not discovering his plan sooner or warning his two best friends about the man. He should have sicked Winny on him!

A tapping came from outside the screen of his room. Yasu often allowed the young pupils to visit him with questions of any kind and at any time, but today was no such time. "Yasu." and this was no such student. Nakamara entered the room.

"[My… how utterly, and completely downtrodden you seem.]" His voice was sympathetic, but his expression was that of a gloating demon. "[Oh, and what a tragedy for you! When I heard the monks outside my room talking about what happened to the poor girl, I ceased my meditation. I simply can't express my feelings of sorrow for this situation.]"

Yasu made no movement to respond. If anything, his demeanor became even sadder. "[Yes,]" he said, "[And in the Zen garden! So many people go through there in a day; it was such an unfortunate accident.]"

Nakamara's grin grew wider. "[Perhaps it was merely the will of the Snake, she must have disturbed something there and frightened the creature. Hong, know that I will oversee your lessons if you wish to go and see if the child lives.]"

Yasu sighed and said in English, "That may be best. After all, she was badly poisoned. All the temple must know of it by now. The Dire Walk is not a poison to easily recover from."

"Memory Fog." Master Nakamara corrected him. "The poison is known as Memory Fog."

The moment he said it, Nakamara sucked his breath back into his throat. The words could not be returned though. Yasu's eyes shot open and he stood up proudly, and turned to Nakamara.

"The name of the poison never left the company of those of the Elders or myself. The only way could have known was to have made the poison yourself!" Yasu pointed an accusing finger at the unbalanced master. "You poisoned an infant! And have done so using the sacred creature to this temple! Why? Because she was keeping the boy from you? Because his mother was not happy with your slow progress in making him a killer? Because there was an obstacle in your plan to buy out the Temple of the Sapphire Snake!?"

In a deep growl, Nakamara asked, "_How_ did you know I was in contact with her?"

"You left your phone in your room." Yasu stated. Why would a man so eager to preserve the oldest traditions have a cell phone of all things, and the newest model? Plus, Yasu has a way of getting into people's heads when they least expect it. "You've been brutally mistreating that boy, to say the least of what you've done. You don't want to preserve tradition you look to preserve your _power_! How dare you! You have disgraced yourself and everything this temple stands for! Master Nakamara, if you truly wished to save the old ways you would remember our oath to protect those who are _innocent_. Nora did nothing to you, and did you really think killing her would be right?"

"It IS!" Nakamara didn't even blink as he said it. "_I_ protect the people who live below us whose ancestors fled from vile shoguns and cruel masters. The people in the valley are under my protection, but that does not grant them the divinity to enter this sacred place! A foreigner? She is less than the dirt I walk on. She is a thorn, a dog, a worthless piece of trash that was never meant to come here! Just like you.

The wicked man snorted, "Tell the Elders. Even they will not believe your words. I have won, Yasu. The child will die. I will become the boy's Master and reap my rewards. I regain what was taken from me, and soon there will a new, pure temple where _I_ choose who is worthy." He laughed. "I dare you! Tell everyone you know! The students, the monks, the stupid Elders. None will believe the words of a foreign mutt over long-honored Master."

Silence held the room in a tight grip.

"Indeed." Said a deep voice that was neither Yasu's or Nakamara's. "Had I not heard it right from your mouth- I. Would. Not. Believe it."

Out from the _secret room_ in the wall of Yasu's room, stepped Grand Master Okawa. If Nakamara's vision of a few moments ago had been made of glass, now it would be completely shattered. Everything, his intentions, connection to Cassandra, his treatment of the boy, his greed, his plot had all been exposed. Okawa was an Elder, a rank that was far above him. He knew now, that he had lost. Aghast, Nakamara fled from the room.

Grand Master Okawa and Sensei Hong were now alone in the small room. Respectfully, Yasu bowed. "Now you see what I have tried to warn you of." Was the closest Yasu could get to I-told-you-so.

"Yes." Okawa said. "Nakamara has been possessed by a great darkness. I cannot believe that one whose family is so deeply rooted to this place would…"

Yasu nodded. "Light is often used to hide darkness. Eventually, though the darkness reveals when it is dominant in a heart. This I have learned as an outsider, I have learned that the surface is not so true." He'd seen that while going to school with Helena and Winny. Even the teachers in Canada had given false impressions to adults and harsher ones to their students. Yasu learned from his friends that appearances should not always be taken as truths.

"Grand Master Okawa," Yasu bowed again. "I can never thank you enough for finding the antidote to save Nora. He really did try to kill her."

"Master Hong," the Elder motioned for him to rise. "As I have said, the medicine will prevent the child from dying. Nakamara must have figured it would only take a small amount to kill her, and the snake was also too young to leave a scar on her. But…"

Yasu knew that word was never a good sign.

"It may not prevent her from losing her memories."

"But Master-"

Okawa held up a hand to stop his speech. "There was only so much we could do. Thankfully, my nephew works as a doctor in the hospital. He will recognize that substance and know how to treat her. Still, I cannot guarantee an absolute recovery. Nor can I guarantee that Master Nakamara will be removed from the Temple."

"What?!" Yasu exclaimed.

"He has a long lineage here that our tradition respects. And he knows too much about this Temple for us to let him go. Imagine if he took the poison and tried to harm others in the valley. Or worse, tried to pursue those two women and exact revenge."

"After all he has done?"

"The Elders must discuss this. I alone cannot make a final judgment, even on this man."

Yasu grew still and scowled. Again he bowed and said, "I am off then. I will pack Winny's and Helena's things, they will not want to be staying here if that man is. And neither will I."

And so Yasu left to prepare for his departure to Canada.

Okawa did not try to stop him. Looking out into the courtyard, the Elder muttered to himself, "Finnwich was right that new wisdom was destined to come here. After all these years I still see unimaginable happenings. I do hope that in this small world, big coincidences will still surprise us."

* * *

**A/N: Technically, this is the end.**

**But I did promise an epilogue and an extra.**

**So stay tuned! (Reviews help.)**


	10. Epilogue: Sayonara, Until Again

**Well, Nora (Noa) is gone ,for now.**

**Nakamara's been caught and...**

**And...**

**And what kind of a sick person would I be if I left so many loose ends?**

**This is the epilogue! Well, technically 3 epilogues. Enjoy! There IS still a chance for Season 5, so stay persistant! Season four is still airing in Canada, so just let the producers know there lots of fans out there!**

**If not... it's your choice.**

**Story!**

* * *

**A Few Hours After...**

Nakamara dialed frantically. As the dial tone sounded he stuttered for it to hurry. By now his actions were being revealed and discussed by the Elders. He would lose allies even his father had kept under his thumb. At this point he had only one ally to rely on. Finally a woman's voice answered.

"What do you want?" Cassandra asked, agitated.

"What you promised!" Nakamara spoke in a hushed urgency. "I removed the girl, but now the Elders may remove_ me_! You need to use your influences to ensure I stay with my status! Otherwise you will not get your assassin. Our contract is sound, if I must provide my services, _you_ must provide yours!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. "Hmm," hummed the granddaughter of Liz Mann. "Sir, I don't know what you're talking about. There is _no_ written contact between us, and I gave no such order for you to _kill a child!_"

Cassandra McAdams was furious. She hadn't cared what Nakamara would do to rid her adoptive son of an unneeded playmate at the time, but this was beyond the limit even for her! True, Cassandra didn't care much for the boy His Eminence gave her to raise. Cassandra wanted a daughter to be her heir, to be her perfect little princess and then continue on as CEO of MWF, just like Cassandra did. Cassandra was also a newly married woman and had plans to have that child in the near future, so she did unknowingly have a soft-spot for little girls at the time.

"Did you think I wouldn't know, _Mr._ Nakamara?" she seethed. "Did you forget that I told you that I have eyes and ears everywhere? You gave the boy a good start at training like we agreed upon, you may keep the money. I'll be sending an envoy to bring him home. I'll be doing his training from now on. Cheaper, really. A working woman needs a little daycare services like yours from time-to-time. But, really? Even if I send him back, I have it on good word that you will _not_ be so much as scrubbing floors by then."

Nakamara shook in terror. The things she was saying… Everything he had ever worked for was being taken away. "N-No! You can't do that!"

"That's the thing about money, Mr. Nakamara: If you have the right amount you can do anything." Cassandra sneered from the end of the line. "But just so you know, not all this is my doing. Even I have superiors. Apparently, he and I agreed that poisoning children is not a desirable quality for a branch of our corporation. Sayonara!"

And the conversation was over.

Nakamara stood in horror as a gathering of several masters of the temple crowded around his door.

* * *

**Three Days later… in the Zen Garden…**

It had only been a few days since, Jun saw Noa's mother, godmother and even Sensei Hong, leave the temple and not return. Master Nakamara was said to be imprisoned, in a hidden dungeon never before used in the mountain for many years. The news spread the next day around the temple that he had poisoned Noa using the Safaiasunēku and a forbidden toxin. Jun did not know what the toxin was, no one knew. But he did understand this: Noa was gone. Without her, everything had begun to slip back to the way it was before. He didn't go around the temple for walks anymore, no one spoke to him to even comfort him, no one called him 'Jun', and in only a few days he would be going back to Cassandra.

The boy didn't know what had happened to Noa, but the empty rooms where her mother and aunt had been staying were cleared of their belongings. That told him enough. He went to his room, and even cried a little. The boy _was_ still a child. He had lost her because of that serpent. He shouldn't have let her out of his sight. He shouldn't have let go of her hand. He never should have told her that snakes were safe.

They were bad. Very bad.

And the one that hurt her must be dealt with.

Jun looked about the garden in the manner and stealth of a vengeful hunter. He had the motivation to move silently and quietly. He began thinking of his training with Nakamara. Those hits, those long hours of practice until he sometimes couldn't even stand, he was using it. The boy was using it to hunt down the disgusting wrong-doing who had taken Noa from him. "I will find you." He said. He felt like threatening in Noa's language was best suited for right now. "I'll beat you hard for making Noa go away."

The hunted was also moving about the garden with her own thoughts, oblivious to her hunter. She had done the deed her master had set her to do. She had been forced to have that cold liquid on her beautiful fangs, and then bit the little girl as she was told. But three days had passed since then and her master was yet to return for her as he promised. She made due in eating dragonflies and small birds around the garden. No one had disturbed her because the incident had called for the Zen garden to be closed. The little, blue snake wanted to go home. But her master had not returned. The promise was unfulfilled. She had been abandoned.

The boy was slinking around every corner, every tree and behind every tight corner as best he could. His friend's killer was somewhere in here. This was a test for him. He had failed to protect something dear to him, now he needs to prove his resolve to never let anyone or anything cross him again! "I've lost Noa. Now someone's going to pay!" His true dark nature, the aura that Sensei Hong had always sensed, had now become a permanent part of him. He wasn't 'Jun' anymore, from this day on he would start becoming something much darker and deadlier.

In a corner of the garden, the little blue snake stuck her head out. She was hungry, and need to find something to feed herself. It was difficult to find food on her own in broad daylight as opposed to the many creatures she could hunt from within the mountain. But without the man that claimed her, she would have to make due on her own. There was no prey in the flora, so she ventured out. Her hunger and the boy's observant eye, the ambush couldn't have been orchestrated better.

The little snake poked her head out of the bush. Nearly five feet away, the boy saw her and his eyes grew wide recognizing the color of her skin. As he inched closer, he crouched down low. The snake looked left and right, seeing nothing she completely let herself out of the protection of the plants. She hissed, tasting the air not smelling the young boy downwind. She thought of going to the edge of the pool where the dragonflies sometimes buzzed about. Satisfying her hunger was all she cared about.

She saw the water, she saw the flies.

The boy saw his chance.

In the span of a second the boy jumped out and caught the snake from the back of her head! She felt the familiarity of choking pressure on her throat. Just like before it was so tight that she couldn't breathe! But this meant only one thing for the blue snake: she had been subjugated. She had a new master.

The boy thought of snapping her neck! She deserved it. He would leave her alive if she had just hurt Noa. But Noa was gone now, and so was all the happiness and light she had brought with her. Even the lollipops. The boy wasn't even 'Jun' anymore; people weren't talking to him again. He twisted the snake in his grip and sneered at it. "You… It's your FAULT that Noa is gone! I'll never see her again."

The snake did not understand his words. But his tone possessed the sound of anger that Nakamara had when he came and captured her. She saw that this master was much smaller than her first, and that there were more emotions behind his eyes rather than greed. In his eyes, were tears. She could feel that he had lost something very dear to him. The snake had felt that pain when she realized she will never be able to return to her home inside the mountain. So with loving eyes and a gentle touch she curled herself around the boy's shaking arm. The boy's eyes went wide at the surprisingly loving gesture, as the snake's eyes went wide in an innocent, loving way.

A way the Noa had sometimes looked at him.

Instantly, the boy had an idea. He kept his grip tight on the snake but brought her closer, glaring at her. "I will let you live." he said. "But since you cost me Noa, _you _ will be taking her place!"

The snake nodded. The boy continued speaking while trying to sound menacing. "You will stay by my side forever! You will be absolutely loyal to me and do as I command you. You will listen when I talk, go where I go and never, ever, ever leave me! Is that clear?" In response, the snake nuzzled the side of the boy's hand. Hesitantly he loosened his hold, but made ready to kill her if she tried to bite him or get away. When she didn't, the boy said. "Good."

The boy thought of naming his new pet. . He thought of naming her after Noa since she was taking her place, but then he thought that wouldn't be good since this wasn't really his friend. Being reminded of her reminded him of her being gone. Then he decided he could wait until later to name her. For now she would be as nameless as him! He stretched out his arm, sensing what he wanted the snake concealed herself inside his sleeve. "I'll take you with me when I leave." He said as he left the Zen garden, "And from now on… no one lives if they wrong me."

* * *

**About three weeks later…**

The poison had been neutralized in time that Nora's life wasn't in danger. According to the doctors, the amount was not enough to kill her and was removed from her body. However, none of the doctors could guarantee that Nora's memory would be damaged by the poison or the experience. For the entire trip home, three-year-old would drift in and out of sleep. Now, three weeks later, she hadn't been made to move from bed and had barely woken up even when her mother, aunt and father took her to the hospital near their home in Canada to be diagnosed.

Henry had had a complete freak out at hearing his daughter had been poisoned. He began researching ways of poison recovery and how to assist a recovering amnesiac. It Helena to be the chance to be the rationale mother and calm him down after Winny punched him in the arm for spazzing out as soon as he saw them get off the plane. Winny was currently staying as guest over at their house because she insisted on staying until she knew Nora was alright. She had woken up a few times, and she seemed to remember both her mom and her dad, even Winny.

One afternoon, a courageous four-year-old walked all the way down the street to Nora's house, pushed open the gate to her backyard and knocked on her glass window with his little fist. "Nora!" Alex Amoreonesto, Nora's best friend and brother-figure, had a great look of concern for someone his age. He had no idea where Nora had been for over a month, and when he heard she was back he found out that she was terribly sick. He thought he was going to be in trouble when she went away because his Mama had said to him that Nora was his responsibility, and she and Alex's father were always so proud of him when he did a good job of taking care of her. "Nora!" He knocked on the glass again and again. He had to see her. He had to know she was okay.

To Nora, the intensity of the situation was completely lost on her. She had been feeling sick lately and all she wanted to do was nap, but whenever she woke up she couldn't understand why her parents and aunt always looked so relieved. It was sleepy-time all the time. There was a sick feeling in her tiny body, and a kind empty feeling in her tummy, even when she wasn't hungry. But when he nap was disturbed by Alex banging on the window in a tantrum-like anger, Nora instantly knew she had to open the window for him to get in. Groggily, she climbed out of bed, and walked herself up to the window that doubled as a dolly-couch and opened the latch to let Alex in.

The little boy had done this before. He stepped over the ledge and closed the window behind him. He looked at Nora and could see that she was nodding off were she had sat down. Plus, she looked pale and a little sick to him. "Get back in bed, Nora." He said, taking her arm and guiding her over to it. "You still sick. Stay in bed." Nora could slip out of the bed on her own just fine, but she needed Alex's help to get back in and pull her blankies up to her chest.

Alex had Nora tucked in the way she liked: Blankies, stuffed animals all around her and… for some reason her thumb wasn't in her mouth. Once she was tucked in, Alex got down to what he considered to be the issue of all that was going on.

"Why did you get sick Nora?" he folded his arms and asked in her in a scolding tone.

Confused, but feeling like she was in trouble, Nora weakly replied. "Don't know."

At that, Alex let go of his anger and worry. "You got sick because you were a bad girl, Nora!" At four-years-old, most kids have irrational reasoning and to Alex, he the right to scold Nora just like his Mama, Papa and brothers did to him. "You went away and you didn't tell me where you were going. I couldn't help you! That's why you got sick! For being bad and going away!"

Maybe Nora would have normally cried at being accused by Alex like that, but she just stared back with a half-lidded expression. "Okay…"

Alex was caught off guard by this. The dark-haired boy leaned over his friend and looked closer with his green eyes. Nora was a little pale, and she was definitely sleepy like she was sick, but she had never been _this_ sick. Placing a hand on her forehead, Alex asked her, "Where did you go?"

Thinking between the last time she was Alex, there was only one place she could remember being besides her house. "Hos-spit-all." Was her answer.

From there, Alex concluded that for over a month of summer, Nora had been sick and in the hospital the entire time she hadn't been home. Alex suddenly felt bad for being mad at her. Her mother must have taken her to the hospital and stayed with her. It wasn't Nora's fault she had been sick, he knew it. But he had hated the fact that she had been gone and he hadn't been allowed to go with her. Taking his hand away from her head and instead using it to protectively grasp her own little hand, Alex said, "From now on listen only to me, Nora. I'm your best fwrend so listen to what I say and you won't get sick again."

Drifting off to sleep, Nora uttered one last word. "June…"

"It's August." Alex corrected her. Nora's thumb found its way to her mouth and she sucked it as she went back to sleep.

* * *

Leaving the door only slightly ajar, Helena and Henry Prowler left Alex to watch over Nora as she slept. "So she's okay?" Henry asked worriedly. He had heard everything along with his wife, but he needed to be sure.

"Sounds like it." Helena said, slightly smiling. Her husband could read the trace of sadness in her voice. "It sounds like she just forgot all of last month. That's the whole trip, Henry. The Memory Fog worked only enough for her to forget just the last month. I know I should be grateful for that, but…" Helena thought of the whole experience. Meeting Yasu for the first time, exploring the Temple of the Sapphire Snake, befriending that little boy that was still back at the temple; the whole experience was gone for her daughter.

Henry took her hands, seeing she was troubled. "She's still here, we still have our baby, Helena. She's sleeping soundly in her room with Alex just like nothing traumatizing happened. Maybe we should leave it at that for now?"

"W-Well… maybe." Helena could introduce Nora to Yasu again once he finished moving over here from Japan. Apparently, this incident had been enough for Yasu to finally say he had enough of that place and wanted the company of people he knew and trusted, and whose daughter he felt had been very wronged by the whole ordeal. "Henry, I just feel there's something wrong with that."

"What is?" he asked.

"She made a friend while she was over there. Henry, she loved him just as much as she loves Alex, you should have seen them!"

"I don't want our daughter going back there ever again! We got very lucky with this, and I don't want to risk the chance of losing Nora because of dirt-crawling reptile!" Henry kept his voice hushed because his little angel was sleeping in the next room, but the anger was surely there as if he were shouting. "Helena, please! Even if we tell Nora now she'll probably see it as just a fairytale story or pretend game because she doesn't remember it. We can tell her when she's older what happened, okay? She may have even forgotten because she was so terrified. Please, can't we just make sure that it was really no more than a month of her life she forgot?"

Helena thought about what Henry was saying. It was a lot like how Yasu said he raised his own children. She could tell Nora when she was older and able to accept the information. For now it would just have to be enough that her little girl was safe. Nora was home, with her mother, her father, her Aunt Winny, and her best friend forever, Alex. "Alright, Henry." Helena said. "I'll tell Nora when she's older. I was there when everything happened and I'll tell her the whole story when she's ready."

Helena walked down the stairs of her house hand-in-hand with her beloved husband, Henry. She felt sad to erase the dream of Nora seeing that cute, little boy she met at the temple ever again, but she would have plenty more great times ahead in her life with Alex to be there. Helena decided for the time being things could just go their natural course and everything would work itself out.

"Oh, and Henry there's one more thing I want to discuss with you."

Laughing because he knew that _she_ knew he wasn't going to say no to her, Henry asked, "Does it have to do with Yasu needing a place to stay while he's looking for a house here?"

Surprised, Helena asked, "How did you know?"

"How do you think?" Henry nodded to the living room.

"Winny!"

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Over time, things did go their natural course. People changed and left, and some would hardly ever be seen again. Nora never learned about the month of memories she lost because of poison, and she never remembered the little boy. She stopped sucking her thumb in time to start school, and she did continue to see Winny and Yasu Hong throughout her life. The little boy too went on to the future that was pre-destined for him, and rarely did he look back at the days when he had a real taste of friendship and love. The two of them, Nora and the boy who would become known as The Serpent, would meet again. But they wouldn't know it was each other.

This is just a story of a big coincidence in a small world.

Is that called destiny, or fate?

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**A/N:**

**Thank you loyal returning readers!**

**For fans in Canada, we're counting on you to watch the Season 4 Detentionaire episodes when they come out on January 8th!**

**I love writing for this and I would like to continue and improve.**

**Tell me you're thoughts of this story in the reviews!**

**Oh! And I did promise an Extra, but only after people write back on this!**

**Bye!**


	11. Extra: Elena's Letter

**Hi! Crystalmoon39 here!**

**The author of the Detentionaire fic with my OC Nora Prowler!**

**Nora: "Sup!"**

**I felt like doing a one-shot where Nora finds something from her familiy's past. I got the idea after listening to the song 'Pretending' from the Glee Cast (it was recommended and I liked it)****. This is in Nora's POV and she's back in her own house.**

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It's been a few days since our escape from Coral Grove now. Lee is safe with his mother and father, and I don't know what the situation with Serpent is at the moment. I'm home alone... again. Dad hasn't shown his face much around here lately. I've got questions for him, and he probably knows about them. If he's really been involved then he might know where I've been all this time.

But I have other issues on my mind now that there's some time to rest. While I was in prison I crossed paths with my mom's grandfather. He knew as much about my existence as I did about his up to a few weeks prior to the day he told me everything. That my great-grandmother Elena Floros hid herself and their child from him, and found an exclusive way to hide our marks from being found by anyone, including him. With Dad gone, and not showing any hints of making an appearance, there's just one other place to look for answers.

We have a basement where Dad usually works on new system designs alone. It's password locked, but I know how to get in. "H.E. L.E.N.A." I type in my mother's name. I enter and pass all the equipment to look in one corner of the basement. Dad still kept a few old boxes that Mom had around the house. He said he likes feeling the security of a home when creating a protective space. _Did you know who you were making those spaces for, Dad? _There are two boxes. One is filled with Mom's old schools stuff, the other with memorabilia she got when she married Dad. I take the latter box upstairs with me to my room.

Sitting on my bed, I only hesitate a second before going to work. I open the box and at first just see old pictures. There are names and small messages written on the back of some of them. Nothing is organized, but one object is buried at the very bottom amid all the delicate old pictures. A small, rectangular, wooden box. I lift it up and feel it's smooth and hard texture, yet I hold it with all the delicateness of glass. "I think I've seen this before."

And I have! Mom showed this to me years ago! The box is made of cedar, with small flora designs painted and carved into it. She said it was her hope chest. A family heirloom passed down to each girl when she grows up and leaves the house. I don't remember her saying anything about its previous owners, just that I couldn't see inside and ruin the surprise until I was old enough. I try opening it now. The lid is stuck, it need a key. I dig around in the box until I find one. It's old and looks like it's made of iron. It fits!

I unlock the hope chest. There are odd trinkets and papers inside, including more old pictures. "What am I even looking for?" There's nothing about Elena in here! There are photos of Mom when she was a kid, when she was dating Dad, of her with her mother; there's nothing on marks or Pyramids! Then something catches my eye. While all the other papers are loose and easy to view, there's one envelope. It' sealed, and it looks like it's been that way for a long time. I pick it up, handling it even more gently than I did the box.

"Should I…?" It might have what I'm looking for. I try not to ruin it, and open the envelope. There's a letter inside and it's addressed… to Great-Grampa Finnwich! "Elena?" With no more hesitation, I read the letter. Finding I almost can hear a woman's gentle voice narrating it. Her voice coming out smooth, slow and loving.

_My Dearest Maxwell,_

_ It has been so long since we have seen each other face to face. But in my heart I guess I still know that we will be apart for much longer still. Even if I was close to you, we would still be worlds apart just the same. I know that because I now know the full implications of being part of a family with you. I do not regret our relationship, only that I was not fully informed beforehand to discuss this with you._

_ An old friend yours came to me a few weeks before from Korea, he told me about His Eminence. Mr. Ping explained to me what his true intentions are and the danger it presents to those born of your bloodline. He somehow knew of my child before even I did. I couldn't tell my family. These things would not go over well with my parents, and that tiny life needed all the protection I could offer. But I did not have the option of leaving this country like Mr. Ping did. I needed to find another way of hiding who my child is. So I left. It was that simple. A different name, I sold my old belongings for new ones and left. I so wanted to stay, to tell you about this child, but there was more at stake than just what I wanted._

_ In case you've ever wonder, I named him Johnathan. It is strong, somewhat common, but still refined enough for me. He's good son, he grew up without a father but he's as smart and strong as any of the other boys. He has asked about you. I'm afraid I had to tell him, like I've told my new friends, that you have died. They are kind enough not to ask for any names, thinking that I am a widow who moved here to escape heartache. In a way they are right, but I'm still able to give Johnathan the name Floros because of it. He's recently taken an interest in a young lady named Nicole. A very sweet girl, if a little timid. I do love her very much._

_ I write this letter knowing it will never reach you. But Maxwell, I cannot help wondering. Will we never see each other again in this lifetime? Will I ever be able to say to your son that his father is man whom I had to leave to avoid danger to him? I have left you as oblivious as I have left him, it's the only way for this family to live in peace. No, not peace. That is not the word. My heart has been heavy and in pain all these years because of this secret. But what else can I do? His very life must be kept a secret to keep him safe. I pretend that you are dead, but how can I when I am so often reminded of the company that you have sold your soul to?_

The page ends there, but there's another behind it.

_ Is there a happy ending in this story? Will I ever be able to tell you or our son how I've been feeling all these years? To tear down the walls we've both built and be reunited again? Or will this pretending continue for the rest of our lives? I have resolved myself to always remain strong, Maxwell. So please understand that I will not come to see you. Not without a sign that you remember me and are finally free of the creature that has taken the place of your boyhood mentor. I dream of the day when we can all be together again, but I know that the way I have left will have looked as a betrayal of your trust._

_ And perhaps I am to blame for whatever grief this has caused you. The moment he was coming however, Johnathan became my priority. His resemblance to you is mostly in personality. Which greatly cheers me up in these lonely days. Had I fallen in love with a different man, perhaps he would have a father to share the days and dreams he has with him. I am managing, Maxwell, in case you wonder. I work, I socialize, and I have mastered the art of deception. You can tell Elizabeth that I can have equal conversations with her now! Oh, and I have heard about Arthur… He was a kind man, a little odd, but not someone I can make myself easily hate._

_We have all kept our secrets, Maxwell. And for me it's been incredibly tiring. I don't think I could have stayed with you: someone who has so many that the identity of his own family would make them a target to even his own allies. I do love you, Maxwell. You have given me a wonderful son who makes me happy and very proud of him. I know by now you will have moved on with your life, but if I could be bold, I would like to know if you've thought of me._

_ Neither of us are in a position to see or contact each other, even if you happen to know where I am. I know you forget the small things sometimes, and I was always happy to remind you of them. That is my job, you know! But I would hope that our time together wasn't just a detail to you. The true shame of my situation is that I will never know if you are free. Mr. Ping told me so many things that day, and I can tell that he was not lying to me. You are an intelligent man, but how am I supposed to know when you realize you aren't doing this for the benefit of the world?_

_ I live my life wondering about the things we cannot and may never do. But Maxwell, I also live for the moments where I smile, and where Johnathan smiles, and I will for Nicole if she becomes permanent. I question whether fate has dealt me a fair hand, but I'll learn the game as I go along. This letter will never reach you. But, in some way, I hope that my love does._

_ Until our time to meet comes._

_ Your dearest,_

_ Elena Floros_

Tears stung and fell from my eyes. _I had not been ready for that._ Not only the emotions that were expressed in this letter, but the familiarity of the words. Like I could just barely hear the sound of her voice in my head while I was reading it. I know that's impossible, Elena died long before I was born. Before Mom was probably born. Was she?

"So," I sniffed. "Now I've met Elena." My great-grandmother, who left Finnwich and found a way to hide my family from the evil Council and His Eminence. Finnwich always suspected that her disappearance had something to do with Ping, just not in the way he might have thought. He warned her, and she thankfully believed him. Grandpa had thought she had actually run off with Ping, but really he had warned her and Elena had left on her own.

"And she still loved him." She was gutsy to just leave everything in order to protect her baby. And still tougher to go her whole life without letting her son know who his father was to keep her family safe. I can see from the pictures that she never left Canada, that could only have made the situation harder for her. _That could also be why my mark is blended in with my skin. Anyone who looked at her son's arm wouldn't see anything. _I fold up the letter and put it back in the envelope. But I just _can't_ put it back in the box.

Elena went around the rest of her life with this secret. The only way to get it off her conscious was to write it out in a letter that she would never send and never be read. A_nd maybe to later explain to her son or any future generation where this all started._ I look through the hope chest and find pictures of her, and what must be my grandfather, her son. I read the back, seeing that Nicole was also the name of my grandmother. "Grandma…" I bet if I looked through here I would find out how my mark is hidden, so the hope chest won't be going back in the cardboard box. Not yet. Neither will the letter.

I put everything else back down in the basement and then lock it again. "I found what I was looking for." I tell myself. "I have a good reason to find my great-grandfather again. Elena never got to tell him her side of the story." But her love may have reached him. Through me. The two of them had something together, and eventually it led to me. I saw from my time with him that Finnwich would have liked to hear from her one last time. He wanted to see her again too. Elena died before the end of her story. Where she tells him that she loves him and their separation had meant something, there was going to be the happy ending she wished for.

For that same means I have to work things out with both Finnwich and my own Dad. Elena's letter says how hard she would like to have fought to keep her family together, I can't sit back while my own trial is happening around me. She did her best then, now I have to do my best.

I'll keep the letter with me as a reminder of my new mission. Find Grampa and make sure he reads it. Elena's letter holds Elena's secret. "Let's just face it." I say looking at a picture of me and my dad. "All secrets have to be realized sooner or later."

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**A/N: Too cheesy? Maybe try looking at this like Nora's New Year's resolution.**

**I just felt like doing it. I brought up Elena and I wanted to give a little more story on her.**

**Nora's past is part of who she is. Should I do more one-shots? Or my own season if one's not coming?**

**Review please, with your remarks!**


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